Recipe #81: Smoky Sweet Potato Chicken Stoup

Yes, stoup.  Thicker than soup, not as thick as stew, and very hearty.  From one of my new cookbooks!  This was great, although next time I'm definitely cutting the sweet potato smaller.  The chipotle chili was a new ingredient for me.  Just the single pepper added some nose-running heat, but it was perfect.  Add more for a spicier stoup.  My vegetable peeler broke into pieces just as I was starting to peel the carrots, so none of my veggies were peeled for this recipe.  I prefer to leave the skin on the potatoes anyways.

 

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons EVOO, twice around the pan

2 medium carrots, peeled (if you want...)

2 celery ribs

1 large onion, peeled and halved

1 large sweet potato (I used two medium sized ones)

2 garlic cloves, chopped (I used more)

1 chipotle chili in adobo, finely chopped (I found these in a can in the mexican section at the store)

Salt and black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (eyeball it)

1 bay leaf

1 cup dry white wine (eyeball it)

1 quart plus 1 cup chicken stock

1 package chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped (I skipped this)

1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish (optional- I skipped this)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with EVOO.  While the oil heats, cut the carrots in half lengthwise, then slice into thin half-moons.  Add the carrots to the pot, stirring to coat the carrots in the oil.  Chop and drop in the celery and onion.

Peel (optional) and then cut the sweet potato into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice them into bite-size pieces.  Add the sweet potatoes, garlic, and chipotle and stir to combine.  Season the veggies with salt and pepper, the thyme, and the bay leaf.  Cook the veggies together for 1 minute.  Add the wine to the vegetables and reduce for one minute.  Add the stock to the pot, cover the pot, and raise the heat to high.

When the stoup boils, remove the cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.  Add the cut-up chicken and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.  Turn the heat off, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the scallions and cilantro.  Serve each portion of stoup with a dollop of sour cream on top (optional).