Chicken & Vegetable Stew from Clean Eating for Souper Sunday

This week's recipe for Souper Sundays is Chicken & Vegetable Stew and it comes from the latest issue of Clean Eating magazine, a magazine I have been cooking out of a lot lately. I picked up the latest issue in Portland and spent the plane ride home tagging recipes to make. A good chicken stew is the epitome of comfort food to me and I found the fact that this one used pineapple juice in the broth intriguing. 

Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Clean Living Magazine

(Serves 6)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 Tbsp whole-wheat flour

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp thyme

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 (12-oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 parsnip, cubed

2 bay leaves

Cut chicken into bite-sized cubes.In a bowl, combine flour, pepper, parsley and thyme; then dredge chicken cubes in mixture. Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high. Add garlic, onion, celery and chicken cubes an quickly saute ingredients for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium and pour in broth and pineapple juice. Toss in carrots, beans, parsnip and bay leaves and stir to combine. Cover and simmer on medium-high until carrots and parsnips are soft, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator, covered, for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.  

Nutrients per 1 1/2 cup serving: Calories: 190, Total Fat: 5g, Sat Fat: 1g, Carbs: 18g, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 6g, Protein: 19g, Sodium: 85mg, Cholesterol: 40mg

Notes/Results: Good and hearty with a lot of flavor. The pineapple juice combined with the carrots and parsnips make it a bit "sweeter" than your average stew but not in an unpleasant way. Although the recipe didn't call for it, I threw in about 2/3 cup of frozen peas at the end of cooking for a bit more color and because I like my peas. I did find I needed a couple of turns of the salt grinder (just a bit), to balance out the flavors. Served with a piece of multi-grain bread from the farmer's market, it was a good, filling and healthy dinner and like most stews, even better reheated the next day.

Let's see who stopped by the Souper Sunday kitchen this week:

Being out of red lentils pushed Amanda from Joie de Vivre to try using split peas in one of her favorite soup recipes and Split Pea Soup with Carrots and Coconut was born. It turned out to be a flavorful and delicious combination and the perfect soup to enjoy at lunch with her vegetarian friends. Because it cooks in the crock pot, it's an easy choice for entertaining.

Also putting that slow cooker to use is Ulrike from Küchenlatein who used it to cook her Thickened Oxtail Soup. (The German version of her post can be found here). Unexpectedly finding oxtail at her favorite supermarket, she succeeded in recreating the flavors of her childhood and giving her sons their first taste of oxtail soup. Thick, hearty and filling, it is interesting that oxtail soup is also popular here in Hawaii. It is a small world!

We have a couple of new faces to welcome at Souper Sunday; the first is Sylvie from Rappahannock Cook & Kitchen Gardener, hailing from rural Virginia. Sylvie provides cookery services and workshops (including one on soup!), utilizing local foods. One that may be be less familiar to many of us is the Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke. Reading that sunchokes could be used like potatoes, Sylvie adapted her potato-leek soup recipe into this creamy Leek and Sunchoke Soup.  

Our other new face is Alisa from One Frugal Foodie, a dairy-free cook and blogger who believes that "eating well should not be expensive", a great philosophy to have especially these days! Coming up with different flavor combinations is one of the most fun parts of cooking and you never know when that next idea is going to strike--for Alisa it was while in pain after a medical procedure. When the result is a savory, mix of potatoes, garlic and miso, like in her Rich and Creamy Potato Miso Soup, you know you have a winner. 

Answering the call of all those people who say they don't have time to make homemade soup is Christine from Kit's Chow with her No Prep Vegetable Soup with Migas. In her post, Christine goes through the steps for quickly putting together a simple, hearty, flavorful soup out of pantry items or things easily picked up at the store. This soup is based on the Basque soup called "Garbure", a thick soup or stew with toasted or fried bread.  

Kim at Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet must have been reading my mind this week as I have totally been craving clam chowder. OK, so she really made it for her husband who hates all things shellfish except his favorite chowder, but I can live vicariously through her recipe can't I?!  Kim's husband likes his soup chunky and her Creamy Clam Chowder, full of clams, potato and celery was the perfect Valentine's Day gift for him.  

Giving me yet another round of soup cravings is Suzie from Munch + Nibble, who made one of my favorite soups ever, The Barefoot Contessa's Pappa Al Pomidoro soup. If you haven't tried Ina Garten's take on this classic Italian soup, Suzie's version and picture should help convince you! Full of tomatoey goodness and topped with a crunchy medley of basil, bread and bacon or pancetta, this recipe is a keeper and I am glad it got cool enough in Sydney for Suzie to be able to enjoy it.

Another classic soup to comfort and cure whatever may ail you is this one from Natashya at Living In the Kitchen With Puppies; Chicken Noodle Soup. This soup is chock full of nutritious vegetables, pasta and chunks of roasted chicken. Natashya says that it is a great way to use up leftover chicken but I think it is worth roasting one, just to make this delicious bowl of goodness. She served her soup with some semolina "knots" she made from her handy Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day stash. Yum!

Sticking with her simple cooking plan, Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness has a zesty Chorizo & Chickpea Soup this week. It's all the things you look for in a great soup; simple good, substantial and filling. Pour it in shot glasses and it sounds like it would be perfect perfect for her Blog Party theme this month, "Spice It Up"!

Another great variety of soups this week!  I love the combo of classic soups and new flavors we seem to get each week. A big Mahalo (thank you), to everyone who sent in a soup.  If you want to join us and share a soup or soup-like creation, click the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all the details.

Have a great week!