50 Christmas cookies later (number eaten, not baked) I’m in the mood for something nourishing, vegetable-y, and delicious of course. But it has to be easy, because I’m kind of cooked out after the Thanksgiving and Christmas food fest. I’m thinking you guys might be feeling the same way and would appreciate a recipe that makes a lot of stew but takes only a little amount of chopping and cooking.
This is a one pot, one cutting board meal. The chicken breasts go in whole and get shredded when they’re tender and ready to fall apart. No cutting and browning of the meat is required so your stovetop stays grease-free. There are 2 things that may be unfamiliar to you. The first is turnips or rutabaga. They work really well in place of potatoes. No peeling necessary, just rinse them off. The second is adding parmesan rind to the soup while it cooks. It adds lots of wonderful flavor. I buy the whole chunks of Parmesan Reggiano from Costco, where it is still expensive but doesn’t require that I dip into our savings account first. I save the rinds in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for just this purpose. Don’t worry, the rinds stay whole as they cook so they’re easy to remove.
- 2 tablespoons butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 4 large carrots (or 6 medium), cut into bite size rounds or half rounds if large
- 2 rutabaga or turnips, unpeeled, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 cups homemade chicken broth or good quality store-bought (note: if you prefer a more soup-like consistency, just add more broth)
- 1 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes with the juice
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, left whole
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
- 4 large (or 6 small) zucchini, yellow squash, or a combination of the two
- Parmesan rinds from 1 large chunk of parmesan cheese (optional but use if you can because it adds a lot of flavor…see recipe description above)
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- Heat butter or oil in a large pot on medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add celery, carrots and rutabaga or turnips. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add broth, tomatoes, and chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir to submerge chicken. Turn heat to high, bring to a simmer, and cook until carrots and rutabaga or turnips are softened but not fully cooked (test by piercing with a fork).
- Add the cauliflower and zucchini to the pot and continue simmering until zucchini and cauliflower are soft. Remove from the heat.
- If you have the time, let stew cool on the stovetop with the chicken breasts in it. If you don't have time to wait, remove chicken breasts from soup while hot. Allow chicken to get cool enough to handle, and shred. I use my fingers. Return shredded chicken to pot.
- Remove parmesan rinds, if using. Serve warm with parmesan cheese at the table.
- Stew may be made 2 days ahead of time and kept covered and refrigerated. Reheat gently.
