Chicken, Parsnip & Apple Stew

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Modest, sweet parsnips shine in this autumnal stew. Try pairing it with sandwiches of toasted sharp Cheddar on country wheat and a robust dark beer for a warming fall supper.

READER'S COMMENT:

"With a few modifications, this could be a nice recipe. As written, it has an identity problem: is it a soup or a stew? The flavors of the vegetables are delicious, but the pureed texture with chicken chunks is horrid. It's like when...

2 servings, 2 cups each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
8 ounces chicken tenders, cut into bite-size chunks

Preparation

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, parsnips, carrot, apple, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add broth and water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender; add vinegar, cover and pulse until it forms a chunky puree. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids; see Tip.)
Clean the pot, return it to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the soup back into the pan. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until heated through, about 1 minute.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Tip: Pureeing hot liquids: Hot liquids can splatter out of a blender when it's turned on. To avoid this, remove the center piece of the lid. Loosely cover the hole with a folded kitchen towel and turn the blender on. Better airflow will keep the contents from spewing all over the kitchen—and yourself.

Nutrition

Per serving: 321 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 70 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 31 g protein; 7 g fiber; 472 mg sodium; 619 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (150% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv), Folate (19% dv), Potassium (18% dv).

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat