This blog post has been sponsored by the Vidalia Onion Committee. Links featured within, not inclusive of the official Vidalia Onion Committee website or previously sponsored content, are not sanctioned or endorsed by the Vidalia Onion Committee.
The current state of the world has placed all of us at home, staying sheltered and hopefully safe from one of the worst pandemics we have ever experienced. However, we should all try to look on the positive side and see that more time at home means more time with our families as well as extra time to spend in the kitchen. I have been using those long afternoons to experiment with new foods and make delicious yet easy recipes that you and your family will also enjoy. In the midst of this quarantine, it's great that at least we can still all eat great meals together!
In addition to having a little more time to spend cooking in my kitchen, I am also thankful to have amazing ingredients on hand. Recently, I have been working with Vidalia Onions and am so grateful to have such a flavorful, powerful ingredient in my pantry. I also just love the sentiment behind every single onion. The fact that each onion is planted by hand, cared for and harvested by professional chefs amazes me. They have literally been cultivating the onions in the same loving way for 80 years! In fact, real sweet Vidalia's are only grown in 20 counties in South Georgia making them a true regional specialty.
Vidalia onions also add such a unique taste to my recipes and my whole family loves the sweetness that the onions have- even my pickiest eater will give a new food a try when I say that there are Vidalia onions inside! I recently made a Hot Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip that my family has always loved since Vidalia onions are in season right now. That dip is now an afternoon staple in our quarantined household. And I must say, it is a recipe that I feel good about serving.
I think we can all agree that this pandemic has made us all refocus and reprioritize everything in our life. I have become even more motivated to feed my family foods that are healthy and wholesome. After all, our health as a family and as a community is so incredibly important- especially now! Creating new recipes has a whole new meaning for me and I really hope I can help you discover how nutritious foods can help drive us through these challenging times.
Not only is the health of my family my number one priority right now, but giving them comfort and reassurance has become a daily goal as well. Certain foods can make you feel safe and calm with just one bite and these comfort foods are what I have been aiming to create while at home.
Choosing nourishing ingredients is part of making recipes that soothe the soul. I have found that adding Vidalia onions to my cooking has been the ingredient that instantly puts each recipe into the "comfort food" category, elevating the way I cook and how my recipes taste. Maybe it's the natural sweetness of the onions or maybe it's the fresh, hopeful spring-like taste, but I have found that when I cook with these onions, each food comes alive and puts a smile on everyone's face- something we all need right now!
While I have been using Vidalia onions in almost everything I have been making, I must say that this hearty Spring Chicken Stew has been the real winner. It has all the warm, comforting flavors that my family needs right now while also including lots of ingredients that are in season… bringing a light, fresh taste to our table! The sweet onions pair perfectly with the garlic, lemon and chicken that are inside this delicious stew. After smelling this recipe cooking all day, you are going to want to eat it straight out of the pot-- because... quarantined times call for a scoop of instant comfort!
Spring Chicken Stew
Description
Try this hearty spring-inspired chicken vegetable stew with sweet Vidalia onions, potatoes, carrots and fresh spices - so easy and quick in the slow cooker!
Ingredients
1 pound small red potatoes, halved
1 large Vidalia onion, finely chopped
¾ cup shredded carrots
3 tablespoons cornstarch
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1-½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place potatoes, onion and carrots in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with flour, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Place chicken over top. Add broth and bay leaves.
- Cook, covered, on low 7-9 hours or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves. Sprinkle servings with parsley.
I also absolutely love that this Spring Chicken Stew recipe can be made in the slow cooker, requiring almost no effort to get a full-flavored stew ready for dinner with little effort. So, in between homeschooling, laundry, and regular house duties, you can toss a few ingredients into your slow cooker and have a perfectly cooked dinner ready for you later in the day- a total win! Your family will be quite impressed by how well you are managing all the household tasks and still creating comforting, delicious, seasonally inspired meals.
You're a superstar!
After being at home for more than a month, you are likely looking for a new recipe that will nourish, excited and comfort your family. This spring chicken stew is one that you absolutely need to try. The fresh, sweet Vidalia onions are only available in the spring and summer (from April to August!), so you should take advantage of the availability of such a wonderful ingredient!
Give my recipe a try and let us know when your family is smiling after each bite. We hope my spring chicken stew adds some excitement and comfort to your quarantined days at home. Stay safe and keep eating well!
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Angel says
This would be so good in a cold night!
Marjie Mare says
This stew looks so good and hearty. This is all I could have right now. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
vidya says
will try to make this with a vegetarian substitute for the chicken (most likely tofu).. thanks for the recipe
Carmen says
This stew looks hearty and healthy. Yum!
Samantha Laycock says
This looks so delicious and simple to make. Thank you.
Amy Liu Dong says
Such an easy and delicious recipe, I am so excited to make this for my family!
Danielle says
This looks so tasty and easy to make.
Ashley says
Oh this looks tasty and pretty easy to do looks like I’ll be adding a new soup to our rotation!
Matt Taylor says
This chicken stew looks so yummy! I love making stews when it is cold, thankfully it is starting to cool down here in AZ, haha.
Louise says
Ooh, this looks SO good! I love chicken stew 🙂
Louise x
Rose ann says
Im going to try this recipe by this week! It looks so tasty. I want my family to try this new recipe and im pretty sure that they will love this.
Catalina says
Everyone in my house loves chicken. I am sure they will love this chicken stew dish!
Emman Damian says
I love Spring Chicken Stew! Thanks for the recipe. I'll cook it next weekend!
Jessie says
This is so incredibly incredible. Too yummy! (Is there such thing?! Haha!)
Heidi Manøe says
I love Chicken Stew! I usually make it in the winter, but thank you for a spring recipe!
aisasami says
This looks really tasty and I would love to try this as I enjoy making stews
Kristine Nicole Alessandra says
This will immediately go into our menu plan for next week! Yummy! I can't wait to make this for the family. I am sure this is going to turn out to be another family favorite.
Lavern Moore says
Do you think that I can Make this recipe in the warm spring summer months?
Michelle says
Oh that looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Tonight I made turkey noodle soup.
Jackline A says
This looks super tasty. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Lavern Moore says
I think I have enough of these ingredients on hand to try this out.
Lizzie Lau says
Your spring chicken stew recipe looks amazing. I can't imagine using any kind of onion except sweet Vidalia onions!
Jon Maldia says
I love easy to cook and prepare food that's delicious.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
This sounds and looks so delicious. I love the idea of a spring stew. So many delicious ingredients in here!
Kita Bryant says
This looks like a delicious stew! I would love to have some on standby for a quick dinner.
Matt Taylor says
Yummy! This spring chicken stew looks amazing and super easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
WorldInEyes says
Yum....it looks so delicious and amazing, just wish to have it soon...
Lynndee says
That looks good! I haven't used my slow cooker in a while. It's about time to use it again and make this stew.
Steven Morrissette says
The slow cooker is great and I use mine all the time. Your recipe looks delicious a definitely trying it out this week.
Paolo says
It looks delicious and easy to make. I might try your recipe tomorrow. Thank you for sharing
Dianne G says
I've been looking for other chicken recipes lately and yours is a great idea. I've never try this before and would definitely gonna try this on my next menu! Thank you for sharing!
rika says
This chicken stew looks amazing! I want to have a bowl right now 🙂 Yum!
The Joyous Living says
wow. this looks delicious. almost as good as matzo ball soup! i bet anyone who has your spring stew will be feeling better asap. did you shred the chicken yourself?
Beth says
It looks delicious! Using a slow cooker is such a great idea, especially in warmer weather.
Marie Phillips says
This looks amazing. I actually served homemade chicken noodle soup to my family today. Most chicken soups are comfort foods!
Heather says
This is exactly the kind of comfort food I love. I can't wait to try this spring chicken stew!
Jordan says
Ooh, I love the idea that it's chicken stew for the spring season! I'm a big savory fan, so this is great. I'll have to test it out.
Mitch says
Is it a soup? Is it a pot pie? I don't know which category to put it in, but your pictures are amazing, I am dying for a bowl right now. And I just ate dinner!
Jennifer Van Haitsma says
Yum! My husband and I have both had a taste for soup lately, even though it's getting warmer out. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Christi (from www.themoxiemama.com) says
This looks so delicious. You can make it low-carb by using radishes instead of carrots, and arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
Jessica Collazo says
I love making season recipes because I can use produce that is on season this looks so delicious
melissa chapman says
That stew looks amazing and the slow cooker is such a great way to cook! I am sure this recipe and those onions will be a favorite for so many.