Wednesday nights it's usually just Annette and me. This Wednesday Annette has a class after work so I was on my own. Ordinarily I would resort to some leftover in the fridge but, given the extreme winds bringing cold weather, I was in the mood for some comfort food.
I thawed some boneless chicken breasts that I had poached and frozen a week ago. When I get a good deal on boneless chicken breasts I buy a large pack (or two), freeze some, and cook the remainder. Usually I'll grill most of the chicken for use on pizza or in chicken Caesar salads, but this time I decided to poach a few for use in soups or stews.
I make a stew pretty much the same way that I make a soup except I add potatoes and peas, and thicken the broth.
This is an easy one. Dice an onion, slice a few carrots, cut up a couple of celery stalks, chop a couple cloves of garlic, add some ground black pepper and a bay leaf, then saute everything over medium-low heat in a soup pot with some olive oil.
When the onions are transparent add about a quart of low sodium chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. While that's simmering cut up a few potatoes and add to the pot. Bring it to a boil again and reduce to a simmer. When the vegetables and potatoes are nearly done the way you like, add half a bag of frozen peas and two boneless chicken breasts that you poached and pulled apart.
In a small sauce pot melt 2 tbs. butter. Over very low heat add 1/2 cup flour and stir until it's smooth. Slowly add about a cup of the chicken stock from the soup pot stirring continuously. When it's thick and smooth, remove it from the heat and very slowly add it to the soup pot stirring continuously. Raise the heat a bit and bring to a fast simmer. The stock will thicken.
Ladle it into soup bowls and enjoy!
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