AIP salmon stew with rutabaga, leeks, and dill - root vegetable stew finished with salmon and lemon

Rutabaga is not a vegetable most people have bought before, let alone peeled and cubed, and on a day the appetite is barely there and the gut feels raw, that is exactly the kind of extra step that can end a cooking attempt before it starts. This stew asks for that one unfamiliar vegetable and then does almost nothing else to you. Everything simmers together, and the salmon slides in at the very end, off the direct heat, so it stays tender instead of turning rubbery.

Salmon is a fatty, cold-water fish, and the omega-3s in it are tied to how well the body keeps its inflammatory response in check. It is also a real source of selenium, which the thyroid relies on every day. Rutabaga and carrots turn sweet once they have had their 20 to 25 minutes in the broth, so that first unfamiliar peel earns its keep.

There is something in cooking a fish this gently, sliding it in at the very end and letting the pot's own heat finish it rather than working it hard over a flame. Add the dill heavy, finish with lemon, and let a bowl of something warm be enough on a day that does not have room for more than that.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon solid cooking fat
• 2 large leeks, ends trimmed and whites chopped into 1/2-inch rounds
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups bone broth (2 cups for the Instant Pot version)
• 2 cups water
• 2 large rutabaga, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
• 4 large carrots, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 4 ribs celery, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 pounds salmon, skinned, deboned, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

AIP note: Core AIP and elimination-compliant as written.

Method

Melt the cooking fat in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft and sweet. Stir in the garlic and let it go about a minute, just to release its smell.

Pour in the bone broth and the water, then add the rutabaga, carrots, celery, and salt. Bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the root vegetables are tender all the way through.

Turn off the heat. Stir in the minced dill, then gently fold in the salmon chunks. The residual heat of the broth will cook the fish through in about 5 minutes, leaving it tender. Avoid stirring too hard so the pieces stay whole.

Finish with the lemon juice. Taste, adjust the salt, and serve.

Instant Pot variation

Use the saute setting to soften the leeks and garlic in the fat. Add 2 cups bone broth, the water, the rutabaga, carrots, celery, and salt. Cancel saute, seal the lid, and cook on high pressure for about 4 minutes, then quick release. Switch back to saute on low, stir in the dill, fold in the salmon, and let the heat finish the fish for a few minutes off a hard boil. Finish with the lemon juice.

*Adapted from autoimmunewellness.com*