Best Babushkas Slow Cooker Root Vegetable And Chicken Stew Recipes

JAPANESE CHICKEN AND ROOT VEGETABLE STEW

Japanese Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew image

This vegetable-rich stew is based on a Japanese nimono, a simmered dish flavored with kombu, soy sauce and dried shiitake mushroom caps. Although the ingredients may take some searching (check Japanese or Asian markets, or online), the cooking itself is no harder than the usual chicken soup, and the results are just as comforting. You can substitute other root vegetables for the ones called for here. Just make sure to add the sturdier chunks first (taro, celery root, burdock, kohlrabi, turnip, beets) so they have enough time to cook before adding the quicker-cooking ones (turnips, sweet potatoes, winter squash). If you want to make this vegetarian, you can leave out the chicken. It works equally well. Adding cubes of tofu or pieces of fish or seafood during the last few minutes of cooking is also a nice way to go.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories soups and stews, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

10 to 12 dried Japanese or Chinese shiitake mushrooms (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 piece kombu, about 7 by 3 1/2 inches
1 pound bone-in chicken thighs (2 to 3), skins removed if you prefer (or substitute bone-in breast meat)
4 ounces taro root, celery root or potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces daikon or other radishes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (or use kohlrabi)
4 ounces carrots, yellow beets or lotus root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sake
2 1/2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce or tamari, more to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces sweet potato, white turnip or winter squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Rice wine vinegar, to taste
Ground sansho pepper, shichimi togarashi or good smoky chile powder, for garnish

Steps:

In a medium bowl, soak dried mushrooms in water overnight at room temperature. (Alternatively, you can cover mushrooms with hot water and let soak for 2 hours.)
Remove mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Slice off stems and discard them. Cut the caps into 1/4-inch pieces.
Place kombu in a large pot, add mushrooms and their soaking liquid, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, make a drop lid (called an otoshibuta in Japanese) by folding foil into a round just smaller than the pot. Poke a few holes in the drop lid with a chopstick or knife.
As soon as liquid boils, remove kombu and discard or save to reuse. Add chicken, taro, radish, carrot, sake, soy sauce, sugar and salt to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, place drop lid directly on top of cooking vegetables and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Add sweet potato to the pot, cover pot again with drop lid, and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through but not mushy.
Meanwhile, shred cooled chicken and divide among four bowls. Stir rice wine vinegar into stew, along with salt to taste, then ladle it into the bowls with the chicken. Garnish with sansho powder or shichimi togarashi and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 322, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 28 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 722 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams

BABUSHKA'S SLOW COOKER ROOT VEGETABLE AND CHICKEN STEW

Babushka's Slow Cooker Root Vegetable and Chicken Stew image

This is a really tasty, mostly hands-off recipe, great for using holiday leftovers and a good hearty meal. Freeze leftovers for a later date.

Provided by Alarowitz

Categories Chicken Stew

Time 8h

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
4 stalks celery with some leaves, coarsely chopped
4 medium red potatoes - peeled, halved, and cubed
1 rutabaga - peeled, halved, and cubed
2 medium turnips - peeled, halved, and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 ½ cups cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper
1 (32 fluid ounce) container vegetable broth

Steps:

Heat a saute pan over medium-low heat. Cook chicken thighs in batches just until skin starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't overcook; the meat should still be pink and raw on the inside. Set chicken aside in a bowl, reserving juices in the pan.
Saute onion and celery in the pan until turning translucent and browning at the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic to the onion-celery mixture. Sprinkle salt, herbes de Provence, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper on top. Stir and mix vegetables until coated.
Place 1/2 of the vegetable mixture in a slow cooker. Add 1/2 of the chicken. Layer remaining vegetables and chicken on top. Pour vegetable broth over the mixture in the slow cooker.
Cook on Low for 7 hours, gently stirring every few hours if desired.
Use tongs to remove chicken from the stew. Let cool. Separate skin and bones from the meat and shred meat. Stir meat back into the slow cooker.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 295.7 calories, Carbohydrate 26.2 g, Cholesterol 63.8 mg, Fat 11.8 g, Fiber 4.6 g, Protein 21.4 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 755.8 mg, Sugar 7.7 g