Packed with protein and veggies, Slow Cooker Hearty Tuscan Chicken Stew is easy to throw together and makes the perfect one-pot meal.
Hello Real Food Whole Life community!
How are you?
It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?
Things have been a little crazy behind the scenes here as of late.
There’s production of Feel Good Effect podcast; booking guests, prepping for interviews, conducting interviews, post-production, and sharing the show.
There’s my lovely little family, and proud kindergartner who deserves my attention after a long day of school.
There’s my day job.
And then there’s this.
Yep, that’s right, I’m currently smack dab in the middle of a 200 hour yoga teacher training.
It’s an all-at-once terrifying and exhilarating experience and I can’t wait to share more of what I’ve learned with you here in the future.
So with everything that’s going on I’ve had less time to test and shoot recipes.
This recipe in particular gave me a heck of a time during testing, but after multiple failed attempts, I’m pretty excited to share this final version.
This one-pot meal is packed with protein and veggies, plus it’s grain-free, paleo and Whole30 compliant.
I also added a vegetarian option to the recipe, so there are plenty of options.
Oh, and I tested a version in the Instant-Pot!
I can’t promise all recipes will go this route, but it was an interesting challenge playing around with it for this one at any rate.
Sending you all love and good vibes in the fall season ahead.
Now, let’s make some Slow Cooker Hearty Tuscan Chicken Stew!
RECIPE & FAMILY-FRIENDLY ADAPTATIONS
1 | Throw in some dark, leafy greens at the end of cook time to boost the fiber and green power. Think baby spinach, kale, or chard.
2 | Deconstruct the soup and serve all the parts separately. Some diced chicken, cooked veggies, and broth on the side for sipping makes soup more palatable for resistant eaters.
THIS RECIPE IS . . .
Naturally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Egg-Free, Sugar-Free, Paleo, Whole30, and Vegetarian (with adaptations)
Crockpot + Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew ( with Vegetarian Option)
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Packed with protein and veggies, Slow Cooker Hearty Tuscan Chicken Stew is easy to throw together and makes the perfect one-pot meal.
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs*
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow or red waxy potato
1 (15-oz) can diced fire-roasted tomato
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (dried herb mix)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
32-oz chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Just before serving:
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (can substitute cornstarch)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, potato, tomato, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, stock, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high until the chicken and veggies are cooked through, about 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low (times vary depending on slow cooker).
- Mix together the water, arrowroot powder, and balsamic until smooth. Pour mixture into the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high an additional 5 minutes until the stew begins to thicken.
- Remove the chicken and shred or dice. Add back to the slow cooker, stir, and taste, adding additional salt if desired. Serve warm with a generous drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Cook the carrots, celery and onion for 5 minutes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil using the saute function on your Instant Pot, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
- Add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and granulated garlic, cooking for one additional minute, stirring occasionally minute.
- Turn off the sautee function. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the water, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar) to the Instant Pot, stirring to combine.
- Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, then do a natural pressure release.
- Remove the chicken, shred or dice, and add back to the pot.
- Mix together the water, arrowroot powder, and balsamic until smooth. Pour mixture into the pot, stirring to combine. Serve warm with a generous drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Stovetop instructions:
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Follow the Instant Pot instructions 1-4, above.
- Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender.
- Follow the Instant Pot instructions 6-7 above, then serve.
Notes
Inspired by this recipe from Sweet Peas & Saffron
*For a vegetarian version, swap 2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained in place of the chicken.
Throw in some dark, leafy greens at the end of cook time to boost the fiber and green power. Think baby spinach, kale, or chard.
Deconstruct the soup and serve all the parts separately. Some diced chicken, cooked veggies, and broth on the side for sipping makes soup more palatable for resistant eaters.
