I saw this recipe today on the Rachael Ray Show. It looked delicious—and lovely enough in appearance to serve for company! This stew is perfect for holiday get togethers, when family and friends are filtering in and out of the house. It can be reheated again and again and gets better each time!
Don’t forget to see my tips and substitutions at the bottom!
For this recipe you’ll need:
1/2 pound (about half of a package) smoky, good-quality bacon, chopped into half-inch pieces
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , divided plus some for coating the pierogies
3 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut into chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 rounded tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 tablespoons butter
24 potato pierogies (if unavailable, serve over buttered egg noodles)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chives, chopped
To make this recipe:
Add 1 TB olive oil to a large dutch oven or soup pot and cook the chopped bacon until browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Next, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add it to the pot with the bacon and brown all sides (it’ll take about 5 minutes). Add the onions, carrots, garlic, paprika, cumin, marjoram and bay leaves and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the veggies are tender. Make a well in the middle of the pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the flour to the olive oil and mix to form a paste.
Add the white wine to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Next, add the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes and cook for about 20 minutes until the stew has thickened.
For the pierogies, buy your favorite store brand in the freezer section of your grocery store.
While the stew is cooking, cook the pierogies according to the package directions in boiling water. Remove from the water, drain and coat lightly with oil so they do not stick together. Then heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat Add the butter and cook until butter turns slightly brown. Make sure not to burn the butter though! Add the cooked pierogies to the pan and cook until slightly browned on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Serve the stew in bowls with about a few tablespoons of sour cream folded in. Top with a pierogie and sprinkle with chives.
**You can omit the pierogies and serve this soup over buttered egg noodles if you’d like, or eat it by itself.
If you’re going low-carb, serve the stew as is.
You could switch the spices in this soup by replacing them with a packet of taco seasoning and topping the cooked stew with various toppings including crushed tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and chopped black olives.