With the cooler weather approaching, my huge soup pot has once again made its way out of my pots and pans draw and onto my stovetop! I love this time of year and the delicious comforting soups and casseroles that come with it. One of my all time favourite dishes to make in the cooler months is my grandmother's delicious chicken, 12 veg and rice stew. Not only is it the perfect antidote to cold weather but it is absolutely jam packed with essential vitamins and minerals (perfect for pregnancy and postpartum) and the kids LOVE it! I've made a couple of pots for my beautiful postpartum mums and am always asked for the recipe so I thought I'd put the recipe up here so you can all make it again! Now, the actual amounts are going to vary because I'm a chuck-it-all-in kind of gal but as long as you get a good mix of veg it always turns out ok. This recipe feeds an army so there will be leftovers for the next day or for healthy freezer meals for those days that the kids won't let you put them down and being a Masterchef is the last thing on your mind!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
800g diced free range chicken thighs
Diced veggies including 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery, 1/2 a sweet potato, 2 medium potatoes, 4 yellow squash, 1/4 of a pumpkin, 3/4 cup of corn kernels, a big handful of baby spinach leaves, 1/2 of a head of broccoli, 1 zucchini, 3/4 cup of sliced mushrooms. My Ma also used to add whatever else she had in her fridge or garden which would sometimes include fresh tomatoes, peas and beans.
Good quality chicken stock to just cover (I prefer home made but the Real Stock brands are pretty good). It's usually about a litre or 2 depending on how many veg you put in it.
1 large handful of rice (sometimes I do two depending on how much I want to pad it out)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley
Method:
Dice the chicken and veggies.
Sauté the chicken on a high heat in a large soup pot until just browned, then remove and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the veggies for about 3 minutes until they're slightly soft.
Add the chicken back to the pot and cover the lot with stock.
Cover and bring to the boil
Once boiling, add the rice and simmer until the chicken, rice and veggies are cooked through.
To serve, place a ladleful of stew into a bowl, sprinkle over some fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread.