Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Autumn Stew

From the kitchen of Dr. Lori Hulsing

After the birth of my second child my cooking strategy shifted to the following:

1.  Keep it simple.
2. Grab whatever is in the fridge and put it into a soup or stew before it goes bad.
3. Put in as many vegetables as possible.

 
For this recipe I focused on autumn seasonal vegetables and also what I found in my fridge! You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand but just follow the base of the recipe. This hearty stew was perfect to warm up the whole family on this beautiful chilly fall day.
 
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1-2 tsp of thyme
• 5 gloves of garlic, crushed and minced
• 3 med. sweet potatoes, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1-2 zucchini squash, diced
• 1 (32 oz) container of chicken or vegetable broth or homemade stock
• Optional: 2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• Optional to add 1-2 cups of kale, chopped, if you found it in your fridge and it’s about to go bad. Hypothetically speaking.
• salt and pepper to taste

 
Directions
 
    1.     Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large, heavy stock pot over medium heat. 
    2.     Add 1 diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. 
    3.     Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Enjoy that smell!
    4.     Add Thyme—crush between your fingers as you add it to the pot. 
    5.     Add pieces of chicken or leave it out if you are making a vegetarian dish and sauté for 3          minutes.
    6.     Add the vegetables (sweet potato, zucchini, kale, carrots) and sauté for 5 more minutes. 
    8.     Add 32 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth and simmer for 25 minutes or until veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste if you wish.
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