I was craving a warm, hearty stew and came up with this recipe on the fly. The game changer here? The chicken thighs! I usually make soups/stews with rotisserie chicken and love the flavor of that. However, the thighs add a rich dimension I was missing with the rotisserie. It was absolutely what I was hoping for; it’ll be hard to go back to non-thigh soups now!
Domestocrat’s Hearty Chicken Thigh and Vegetable Stew (yield 5 servings)
2 tbsp. EVOO
1.5 yellow onions, minced
6 celery ribs (and their leaves), minced
4 carrots, sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced fine
8 chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
6 cups chicken stock (homemade preferable!)
6 oz. can of tomato paste
4 tbsp. bouillon base (I love Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base)
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (I used russet, go with whatever you like)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flake
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
First, cut up all of the veggies so everything is ready to go when you need it.
In a dutch oven, or any big pot, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until soft. Add in the celery, carrot, and garlic, and saute for another 4-5 minutes.
Add in the chicken thighs and stir to combine. Cook until the chicken thighs start to brown a bit (7-10 minutes). Finally, add the stock, tomato paste, bouillon, potatoes, and spices. Stir to combine. Put a lid on the pot and drop the heat to the lowest low setting. Simmer for as long as you can. I recommend a minimum of 1 hour. I let mine go for 6 hours; the longer, the better!
When the stew is done, it’ll be rich and aromatic. It’s brothy but has a lot of heft. The red pepper flake adds a tiny kick, the tomato paste adds depth, and the chicken thighs add richness. Gosh, I can’t even tell you how good this is!
Serve up immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I suppose this would freeze well too but I haven’t tried that yet. I recommend pairing this stew with a warm, buttery piece of cornbread or a biscuit.
Domestocrat 