This hearty, healthy winter stew is perfect for cold nights!
INGREDIENTS:
• 3 slices uncured organic bacon, chopped
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tsp sea salt, divided
• Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, minced
• 4 medium carrots
• 3 parsnips, peeled and diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry white wine – OPTIONAL
• 1 TBSP coconut aminos
• 1 (13.5oz ) can unsweetened, full fat coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken bone broth or stock
• 1 TBSP fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 4 1/2 tsp arrowroot flour mixed into 3 TBSP water – OPTIONAL
• Handful of fresh, flat-leaf parsley, for garnish – OPTIONAL
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, then add the bacon.
2. Cook the bacon until crisp, then remove the bacon from the pot onto a plate lined with paper towels.
3. Adjust the heat to medium-high, and add the chicken chunks. Season them with 1/2 tsp sea salt and a dash of black pepper, and brown them in the rendered bacon fat. The chicken does not need to cook all the way through yet, so simply brown it for 4-5 minutes, stirring once or twice to get all sides, then remove chicken and put it on the plate with the bacon.
4. Leave the renderings in the pot, and add the onion, celery, and carrots, and saute until lightly browned (approx. 4 mins), then add the parsnips, sweet potato, apple and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes more, then add the wine and coconut aminos to the pot, and use it to deglaze the pot by gently scraping up any brown bits. (If you do not want to use wine, use 1/4 cup extra broth mixed with coconut aminos to deglaze. No need to reduce.)
5. Let the wine reduce for about 1 minute, then return the reserved cooked chicken and bacon to the pot.
6. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, thyme, and poultry seasoning, stir to combine, then bring it to a boil.
7. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer the stew until the chicken is tender and the veggies are soft (approx. 40 minutes).
8. Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste, and garnish with fresh parsley.
If this soup is too thin for your preference, you can make a slurry with arrowroot (stir the arrowroot and water together in a small bowl) and add it to the stew when there are 10 minutes left to cooking.
COOKING OPTION:
This can also be made in a slow cooker, with all raw ingredients. OR you can lightly saute the bacon, onion, celery, carrots and garlic over a stovetop in your slow cooker insert, and then add all the other ingredients raw. Cook on LOW for 4.5 hours.
