This recipe was inspired by my mom and dad becoming sick with the flu. I decided to make them a get well kit which included a chicken stew. I didn’t follow a recipe and just began cutting up what I had on hand. The funny thing is they both called later in the evening and said the stew was really good. My mom even asked me if I would copy the recipe down for her – recipe? So the next day I sat down and began reconstructing what I did and now I have something for mom to add to her recipe box.
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
4 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 Tbsp of olive oil
1 Yellow Onion, chopped in dime-size pieces
3 Potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks (you choose the size)
1/2 Sweet potato, sliced in small pieces
3 Carrots, peeled and sliced in generous 1/4 inch slices
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 can of Del Monte green beans or your choice, drained
1-15 oz can of tomato sauce (I used 12 oz but you could use entire can)
1/2 cup of dry lentils, washed and sorted for rocks
1/3 – 1/2 cup of buckwheat
1/3 – 1/2 cup of cold water
2 Tbsp of Arrowroot or Cornstarch
Garlic Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
Directions
1. Place chicken breasts in chicken broth in a medium size pan and heat to a boil. Then cover and turn down to a simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender.
2. Meanwhile prep all vegetables.
3. Place stainer over large bowl and strain broth catching chicken in colander. Let cool until the chicken is manageable to shred into bite-size pieces. Set chicken broth and chicken aside.
4. In dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and add onion, stirring constantly until onions caramelize – about 3-4 minutes. Turn heat down a bit if they brown too quickly.
5. Add another 1 Tbsp of olive oil and add white potatoes stirring often so they brown but don’t stick to bottom for 3 minutes. If they start to stick add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth.
6. Add the vegetable and chicken broth, carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, tomato sauce, lentils and buckwheat and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
7. Remove from heat. Use 1 cup of the broth from soup (I use a small bowl and strainer. Place strainer on top of a medium size bowl ladle soup into strainer to separate the broth from the veggies. Place the veggies back into the soup.
8. Add 1/2 cup of cold water into hot broth and combine to cool broth down. Add the arrowroot or cornstarch into broth mixture and mix until dissolved. Add this mixture back into soup over low temperature, stirring until soup thickens. This should only take a few minutes.
9. Add chicken, seasonings and drained can of green beans. Stir and remove from heat. The soup will continue to cook the lentils and buckwheat but removing from heat will help the veggies not become mushy.
Serves 8-10
