Looking for some fall comfort food? This chicken stew is not only dairy-free, but incredibly comforting. Serve with some easy homemade sandwich bread fresh from the bread machine or easy beer bread out of the oven, perfect for dipping.
If you’re trying to avoid gluten, simply avoid flour when thickening and you’ve got a great gluten-free option as well.
Comforting Chicken Stew
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1-2 cups uncooked chicken breast pieces or bone-in chicken (3-4 leg quarters, thighs/drumsticks, etc)
6 whole carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1-2 cups chopped green beans (optional), frozen or fresh
15-20 small potatoes, washed and chopped (or about 6 cups)
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
- Add onions to large pot. Add 1 tablespoon oil (or 1/2 cup water, if you’d like to avoid the extra fat) and sauté onions over medium high heat.
- Add celery and chicken pieces. Cook until chicken starts to brown, stirring often. Add more water to cover the bottom of the pot if vegetables are sticking to the bottom (to avoid burning).
- Stir in carrots, optional green beans, potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.
- Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. If you used bone-in chicken, scoop out the chicken in this step; remove skin and bones, then chop and return to the stew.
- Add seasonings and adjust to taste as necessary.
- OPTIONAL: If you prefer a thicker stew, remove 1 cup of liquid and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of flour or corn starch until dissolved (avoid flour for a gluten-free option). Add mixture back to stew and stir in. Heat to thicken. Repeat if needed until desired thickness.
TIPS
- The stew tastes even better the second day as it thickens and flavors blend!
- Add in your favorite vegetables – peas, green beans, mushrooms, etc. You don’t need to be limited to what the recipe recommends.
- I used small golden potatoes (on sale at ALDI in a 3 pound bag) and they were perfect when quartered.
- We love the flavor of dill, but if you’re not a fan, you can try sage or other herbs instead.