Chicken Stew with Gnocchi
This is the perfect stew for when you’re craving chicken and dumplings, but not quite up to the task of making the traditional dish. Store-bought rotisserie chicken and gnocchi live their best lives here, simmered in a comforting broth of chicken stock and heavy cream seasoned with rosemary and thyme. Leeks, carrots and celery are standard, but butternut squash, parsnips, mushrooms, fennel or shallots are worthy additions. Simply sauté your aromatics and vegetables, simmer with some chicken stock and cream, stir in the chicken and gnocchi, and dinner is done in 20 minutes from start to finish.
Servings: 4 to 6 servings (about 9 cups)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium carrots, or 8 ounces butternut squash, or a sweet potato peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)(we like more than 2 carrots)
- 1 medium leek trimmed, white and pale green portion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
(we like more leeks than this)
- mushrooms sliced, amount to taste (optional)
- 2 medium celery stalks peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 2/3 cup)
(we like more celery than this)
- cabbage shredded, amount to taste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or a rosemary stem (Wrap in Cheesecloth, with the thyme stems, so they can be removed easily after cooking.)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or a few stems of fresh thyme
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (maybe more)
- 5 cups chicken stock
- ½ small (3lb) store-bought rotisserie chicken skin and bones discarded, meat torn into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups shredded meat)
(If not using a rotisserie chicken, use chicken breast prepared as above, and add rotisserie spices – see below*)
- 1 cup heavy cream, or coconut milk (we like the coconut milk)
- peas to taste (optional)
- 1 pkg (16oz) fresh or shelf-stable store-bought gnocchi
- Fresh tarragon, parsley, or dill, for garnish
* Rotisserie Spices
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium. Add the carrots (or squash, or sweet potato), leek, mushrooms (if using), celery, shredded cabbage (if using), garlic, and poultry seasoning, if using. Wrap rosemary, and thyme in a cheesecloth pouch, and add. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the flour, and mix in. Then cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (This cooks the flour to soften its raw flavor.) Gradually stir in the stock and cream (if using coconut milk, delay adding until later), and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once the mixture boils, stir in the gnocchi, reduce the heat to medium and cook until gnocchi and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add peas (if using) towards the end. If using, add coconut milk towards the end, to prevent curdling.
- Remove cheesecloth pouch of herbs.
- Stir in the chicken in the last couple of minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide among bowls and top with fresh tarragon and more black pepper, if desired.
Notes
This recipe is very flexible in regards to the amount of vegetables to use, and no doubt you could choose additional or alternative vegetables.
This is a great recipe for entertaining friends and family for an informal, down home meal. Comfort food!
You can vary it with whatever you have in your larder/pantry/fridge for veggies.
We have received rave reviews for this, from visiting friends.