Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Stew
Ali Segersten
Although life seems to have eased up a bit now that our twin babies will be 15 months old tomorrow, the pace has begun to ramp up. Most days I feel like I am herding cats! For example, the other day I was out for a morning walk with the boys while the girls were in school. The boys really enjoy walking for part of it and if were up to Sam, he would walk for miles without stopping. As we neared the duck pond on a wooded trail near our house the boys began to merge onto the trail that leads down to it. I stopped the baby jogger and rounded them up like two footballs under each arm. Back on the trail again, I walked behind them to keep them on track until we were past the pond.
I feel like we are finally beginning to get back into a rhythm. As life changes, we are constantly adjusting to find our center, then it changes again and a new center needs to be attained. I think it took me at least a year since the boys were born to begin to regain my center.
Now, life happens once again. Driving children to and fro. Play dates, outings, family meals....life. Wonderful life!
Yesterday I barely had a chance to sit down let alone think about what I was going to make for dinner. After I dropped the girls off at school in the morning I went to the gym to workout. Feeling good, I decided to try a class I had not done before: Body Combat!
A sauna, a shower, and an errand later, Grace gets picked up from preschool. Home, lunch, boys nap, I wrap Lily's birthday presents (she turns 7 tomorrow), pick Lily up from school. Home, nurse the boys, sit down with the kids for a little while.
5pm. Time to make dinner. But what and quick? The kids are hungry. Two minutes later I have a plan. Chicken & Vegetable Stew with Biscuits.
My mom used to make Chicken and Dumplings or Chicken Pot Pie quite often as we were growing up. She always cooked from scratch and made balanced meals for us. Not only were her meals balanced but they tasted good! Those flavors still linger with me to this day. This stew is somewhat a reflection of her chicken pot pie filling.
A few days ago I cooked a whole chicken on the stove to make chicken noodle soup. There was plenty of meat already in the soup when I began to pull the breast meat from the bones so I decided to save it for something else. I almost always have carrots and celery in the fridge and potatoes and onions in the pantry. If you have chicken or vegetable stock, a little arrowroot powder, and some salt and herbs on hand you are good to go.
From start to finish the whole meal took me 30 minutes to prepare and cook. We were sitting down and eating dinner by 5:30pm! Now I know most of you work or are busy stay-at-home moms that could appreciate a meal like this. We served the stew with some gluten-free, dairy-free biscuits made with sorghum flour.
The nice thing about adding the cooked chicken at the end is that this meal can also be made vegan (as long as you use Vegetable Stock instead of Chicken Stock). I took some out before adding the chicken. You could easily stir in a little bit of cooked beans if desired.
Homestyle Chicken Stew
This easy chicken stew is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken from a whole roasted chicken or Poached Chicken Breasts! Feel free to vary the vegetables to what you have on hand. Green beans and chopped kale also make excellent additions! This recipe isn't finicky, it works just about any way you do it. Any type of potatoes can work here—russet, red, or yellow potatoes! However, red and yellow potatoes hold their shape best in soups and stews.
- Heat a deep 11- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Then add carrots, celery, potatoes; sauté a minute more. Add the garlic and thyme.
- Combine the stock and arrowroot powder in a separate bowl and whisk well. Add this mixture to the pan, cover and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add peas, cooked chicken, and parsley, cover and simmer 5 or so more minutes or until veggies are cooked to your liking.
- Add sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Serve.
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About the Author
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 2000 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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