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Have you ever set out to make one thing but then ended up with something completely different? That’s the story behind my chicken tarragon stew. I’d been planning on preparing a more traditional version of chicken tarragon – a favorite recipe of mine but one that takes a fair bit of active cook time. Before I got to work cutting up my whole chicken, my husband came in with a movie I wanted to watch. Rather than standing in the kitchen browning chicken, I decided to go for a labor saving approach. I chucked everything in one pot, whole chicken and all, and shut the lid. An hour later the chicken was cooked and I had a lovely aromatic broth. When I transferred the chicken to a cutting board, I decided to toss some bulgur into the broth to thicken it up. I also tossed in the watercress I had been planning to make a salad with. Voila, one-pot dinner with protein, whole grains, and greens – perfect for enjoying snuggled up on the couch with a movie.
Chicken Tarragon Stew
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, dice
- 3 garlic cloves, dice
- ½ cup tarragon, roughly chopped and divided
- ½ cup parsley, roughly chopped and divided
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 to 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 3-4 lb chicken
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup bulgur wheat
- 1 large bunch watercress, roughly chopped
- creme fraiche, for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute over medium heat for 7 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of the tarragon and ¼ cup of the parsley. Stir to combined. Next add the flour and mix until veggies are coated. Cook another two minutes.
- Add the wine. Then place the chicken in the pot and add the chicken stock. Add the pepper, salt and lemon zest. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Check the chicken. If it wasn’t fully submerged, turn it. Cover the pot and cook another 30 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a large cutting board to cool. Skim the chicken fat from the top of the soup. Add the bulgur wheat, watercress, and juice from ½ lemon. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cool, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones. Return the meat to the pot and warm through. Garnish with remaining tarragon and parley reserving some for the individual bowls.
- Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and remaining herbs.
