This vegetable stew recipe can easily be made without chicken and not lose any of it's heartiness. To be quite honest, I let my husband and kids have the big chicken bites, then I fill my bowl with the big chunks of tomato, carrots, corn, and soft onion. Mmm, it's definitely one of my favorite comfort stew recipes.
I've never measured out how many servings we get from this recipe. However, there's always enough for the four of us for dinner and another meal, plus a little extra, to put up in the freezer for a couple of lunches.
HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
- 3 tablespoon oil, butter or bacon drippings (you pick)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 small to medium carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 4 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (26 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen yellow corn, thawed
- 1 (32 ounce) container chicken broth
- 1 to 2 cups hot water
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked shredded chicken meat (optional)
Wash and chop all the vegetables.
In a large dutch oven or stew pot over medium heat, heat oil and cook onion, carrots and celery until soften. Stir in all the dried herbs. Add in whole tomatoes with their juice and break up the tomatoes into smaller chunks using a wooden spoon or potato masher.
Add in corn, potatoes and chicken broth. Add enough hot water to cover all the vegetables with 1/2-inch liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender. 15 minutes from the end of the cooking time, remove the bay leaf and stir in the cooked, shredded chicken meat.
Serve with fresh baked bread or crackers. Freezes well for make-ahead meals.
Wanna make this a truly healthy stew recipe?
Use organic vegetables and pasture-raised, grass-fed chickens to build this meal.
You can buy grass-fed whole chickens, from a local farmer or the farmers’ market.
Roast the whole chicken and strip off all the meat. Portion out the meat into 2-cup servings, then use what you need and freeze the rest in air-tight freezer bags.
Save the drippings (chicken fat). Chicken fat is EXCELLENT as an added seasoning to water for cooking rice, noodles or making quick, budget friendly chicken broth.
Save the bones for making chicken stock.
Yes, pasture-raised, grass-fed chicken cost more than the mutant, medicated, has never seen a blade a grass or the sunshine, birds that are offered to us in the grocery stores.
When you buy pastured-raised, grass-fed meats, you will be eating a healthier higher nutritional product. You will notice that it tastes a hell of a lot better and you’ll be supporting a local farmer.
Same goes for eating organically grown vegetables.
Eat better, buy wiser, and live longer.
Ditto, Ditto, Ditto to Jill’s comments. Just watch Food, Inc. and you won’t buy conventional meat again. I haven’t, and I’m about as frugal as you can get. We just eat less meat now so the cost increase isn’t as significant. And we feel a heck of a lot healthier now, physically and mentally
I’ve been off grocery store meats for 2 years now and my family has noticed a significant difference in flavors and aroma. Just like you, Nicole, I make every ounce count and we eat more vegetables and beans to satisfy our hunger.
I haven’t noticed any change in my grocery bill since buying all grass-fed, straight from the farm meats and dairy. It does take better planning, so I can buy in bulk. Farmers are always happy to cut me a deal if I buy in bulk. If you have a friend to help make an order bigger, that helps get the bulk price cut, too.
YAY! Thank you for this! I just came up to the computer to search for uses for left over pork roast! This is it! Now I can finish my grocery list!
Mmm, pork roast? That sounds good, too! Thanks for the idea Eileen!
I made the vegetable stew with a little chicken this weekend. It was delicious and made me feel so good about eating it because it was so healthy. The recipe did not call for salt so I didn’t put salt in it. I didn’t even really miss it. It had so much flavor I didn’t miss it. You could use any fresh herbs you have. I used some Greek oregano and lemon thyme and tarragon. Keep those recipes coming, Jill.
THANK YOU Sharlyn!
With comments like yours, I am fueled to keep cooking!