Chipotle Chicken Stew, hot damn!

It’s not too often that I make a dish that is such a slam dunk, that I want to share it with everyone, make it again, write it down, promote the hell out of it—but that’s what happened last night with this fierce Chicken Chipotle Stew. Could I come up with a more interesting name for it? Yes, probably – but that’s all it is, and it’s simple, delicious, kicky, a real bookmarker. I’ll be making this one again soon.

Check it out:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached and cut into bite-sized chunks*
2 tablesppon olive oil
2 large onions (or mix it up with some leeks!), chopped
7 garlic cloves mashed and minced
6 cups veg or chicken broth
6-7 medium size new potatoes, red skinned, Yukon gold or a combo of both, cut large bite sized, skin on
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut large bite sized
4-5 carrots, cut large bite sized (about a cup or so)
3 small cans chipotle salsa (if using whole adobo peppers in salsa, use only one can)
2 large cans diced tomatoes, not drained
2 cans black beans, drained
1 cup of beer (optional)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp salt, or to taste

*I cut everything pretty large chunky in this recipe, stew-style.

Garnishes:
cilantro to taste
fresh avocado, chopped to taste (I like ½ avocado per serving)
small dollop of non-fat greek yogurt (as healthy stand-in for sour cream)
homemade tortillas strips** recipe below

**stack two corn tortillas on each other and slice in half. now double up your halves and slice crosswise into ½ inch strips. spread out in single layer on a baking sheet prepped with a light spray of olive oil. spray the strips lightly and season with salt. bake in 450 degree oven for 6 ½ minutes. strips will crisp a bit more as they cool.

Poach the breasts by cooking in broth or salted water to cover the breasts. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let chicken stay in hot water for another 20 minutes. Set on a cutting board and let cool a bit before you cut into large bite-size chunks.

Meanwhile, sauté your onions until they start to lightly brown. Add your garlic, and stir for one minute until fragrant. Add the broth, scraping up bits of brown on the bottom of your pan. Add all remaining ingredients except the chicken (and garnishes).

Bring to a boil, simmer slowly for about 2 hours. Add chicken chunks and simmer for another 30 mins to 1 hour. Make sure your potatoes are pretty soft (not mushy) before you take off the heat.

Serve with your garnishes and enjoy!

this is the stew without the garnishes