Slow-Cooker (or not) Chicken Stew
with quinoa
This rich, creamy stew takes inspiration from Chicken and Wild Rice Stew but uses quick-cooking quinoa to make this an adaptable weeknight-friendly meal. Smarts: If you're short on time, feel free to skip Make Step #3 which thickens the soup (though we think you'll find it worth the extra effort!).
Ingredients
- Quinoa, uncooked - 3/4 cup
- Stock, any type - 1 1/2 cups
- Baby carrots - 1/2 lb, sliced
- Onions - 1/2, chopped
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Mushrooms, any button - 6 oz, chopped ((look for pre-chopped to save time))
- Chicken, bone-in & skinless breasts - 1 lb
- Green onions - 2 stalks, chopped, green and white parts separate
- Stock, any type - 3 cups
- Beer, any dark variety (sub stock) - 1 cup
- Adobo sauce (usually found with canned chipotle peppers) - 1 Tbsp
- Thyme, dried - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Corn kernels, frozen - 1/2 cup
- Cooked quinoa (ingredients listed separately) - ~1 1/4 cup
- Butter (opt) - 1 Tbsp
- Flour (opt) - 2 Tbsp
- Milk (opt) - 1/2 cup
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Bread, small baguette or other crusty bread (opt) - 1
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Make quinoa - Double if making Tuesday's meal. Combine quinoa with stock and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil covered. Lower heat, keep covered, and cook until liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat when finished to prevent burning / sticking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Carrots / Onions / Garlic - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Mushrooms / Chicken - Chop mushrooms (skip if you bought pre-chopped mushrooms). Season chicken with some salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Green onions - Chop green onions. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Slow-cook stew - Combine carrots, onions, garlic, mushrooms and chicken in the bowl of a slow-cooker. Pour stock, beer and adobo sauce over top. Add thyme, salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Cook on low 7 to 8 hours (3 to 4 hours on high). (Note: If you prefer not to use the slow-cooker, you can also brown the chicken with some oil in a Dutch oven. Set chicken aside and add vegetables to pan. Saute until vegetables begin to soften. Add chicken, stock, beer, adobo sauce, thyme, salt and black pepper. Simmer on low-medium until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.)
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Make
- When chicken is cooked through, use a fork and knife to shred chicken right in the slow-cooker. Remove bones from the soup.
- Add corn and cooked quinoa (remember to reserve half the quinoa if doubled for Tuesday) to the slow-cooker. Continue cooking to thaw corn.
- [Optional step]: If you’d like a more creamy stew, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Let the mixture simmer until it begins to darken, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly add milk, while whisking. Continue to whisk mixture over heat until it is creamy and smooth. Stir into stew.
- Stir lemon juice into stew (skip this step if you made a creamy soup). Taste and season with some salt and pepper, if needed.
- Divide stew between bowls and top with green onions. Serve with crusty bread, if you'd like. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
46 reviews
Yay for this subtle twist on chicken soup/stew! Husband loved it: "Whoa, what's this" was his reaction to the first bite. Kids and I liked it a lot! I might have to take this one home for the holidays.
0 HelpfulInstant Potted this, 18 mins on high, natural release for 20 mins. Used white wine instead of beer, and only 1 tsp of adobo based on another reviewer's comments re Instant Pot, and made the roux. I liked it, but hubby was less than enthralled, which might have just been his mood, and it was a bit more work than I anticipated.
0 HelpfulAmazing flavors. Great comforting soup. Might be one of my favorites to date. Stovetop version. Creamy milk variation with veg stock base. No mushrooms or green onions. Used rotisserie chicken and fresh thyme. Cooked quinoa right in the soup while chicken & corn warmed up.
0 Helpful