Instant Pot chicken stew with root vegetables, rosemary, and thyme

Chopping celery, carrots, and a sweet potato on top of cubing chicken can feel like the day is asking 1 more thing of you than you have left to give by the time you get to dinner. The Instant Pot absorbs most of what comes after that: 10 minutes at pressure, and a stew that tastes like it took the whole afternoon lands on the table.

Rosemary and thyme do more than season the pot. Rosmarinic acid, the compound rosemary is best known for, has been studied for antioxidant activity, and small inputs like that add up for a body working to quiet an Autoimmune condition. Look for chicken raised well when you can find it. It earns its place in this stew.

Serve it in a deep bowl with a wide spoon. On a protocol that asks this much of you, giving yourself a few unhurried minutes with a bowl of stew belongs on the list of things that count as care.

Ingredients

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (replaces green beans; see AIP note)
• 2 cups bone broth
• 1 cup coconut milk, full-fat
• 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp salt

*AIP swap: the source recipe calls for 1 cup chopped green beans. Green beans are a legume and are excluded from AIP elimination phase. Sweet potato is used here in their place. Parsnip is another good option.*

*Low-FODMAP note: onion is high-FODMAP. For a low-FODMAP version, use the green tops of spring onions and reduce celery to 2 stalks.*

*Low-histamine note: bone broth can be high in histamine. Use a fresh, short-cook broth or plain chicken stock if histamine is a concern.*

Method

Set the Instant Pot to Saute. Add the avocado oil and let it heat for a minute. Add the diced onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.

Add the cubed chicken. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the outside of the chicken turns opaque. You do not need a full sear here.

Add the celery, carrots, sweet potato, bone broth, rosemary, thyme, and salt. Stir to combine. Cancel the Saute function.

Seal the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. When the cook time is up, quick-release the pressure carefully.

In a small bowl, whisk the arrowroot starch into the coconut milk until smooth. Set the Instant Pot back to Saute. Pour in the coconut milk mixture and stir. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the stew thickens. Taste and adjust salt before serving.

Stovetop method

Heat avocado oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft. Add the chicken and lightly brown. Add the vegetables, broth, herbs, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Stir in the arrowroot-coconut milk mixture and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes until thickened.

Slow cooker variation

Place all ingredients except the arrowroot starch and coconut milk into the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is very tender. In the final 20 minutes of cooking, whisk the arrowroot into the coconut milk and stir it into the pot. Switch to High and let the stew thicken with the lid slightly ajar. The slow cooker version produces very tender, falling-apart chicken and a rich, herb-forward broth.

*Adapted from lichenpaleolovingaip.com*