Spiced Chicken and Rice Stew Recipe
When the weather cools, having recipes for warming, nourishing, gluten-free soups and stews is essential. This chicken and rice stew can also be made vegan by replacing the chicken with kidney beans or pinto beans. Sometimes I make two versions of the same meal for the vegan in our house, though other times we usually have enough leftovers to have a complete meal.
Today's recipe can be made in a snap if your rice is precooked. We almost always have leftover cooked grains hanging around the kitchen which makes dinners go quickly and easily. I like to use short grain brown rice in this stew but I imagine long grain rice or even quinoa would work too.
Serving some sort of raw veggie salad with a stew like this helps to digest the meal. A quick cabbage slaw made from chopped savoy cabbage, grated carrots, chopped parsley, and fresh corn off the cob is quite delicious. I make a dressing that is almost identical to the dressing I use for my Spring Slaw, only replacing the apple cider vinegar with champagne vinegar.
Spiced Chicken and Rice Stew
If you need something to cheer you up on a chilly autumn evening, try making this stew! Your house will smell of savory spices while this stew is cooking. Serve stew with a raw cabbage salad for maximum digestion. If you don't have smoked paprika on hand use regular paprika, they both work well here.
The boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be replaced with boneless chicken thighs if desired.
Garnish
- Heat a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil then the onions and sauté until soft and starting to turn color, abut 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.
- Then add the cubed chicken, spices (cumin though black pepper), and Herbamare. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Then add diced red bell pepper and carrots; sauté a minute more.
- Next add the stock, tomato paste, and cooked brown rice. Add more rice for a thicker stew if desired.
- Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for about 25 minutes.
- Taste and add more salt and seasonings if needed. Simmer a few more minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley.
- This stew tastes even better on the second and third days.
Instant Pot Directions
- Press the SAUTÉ button on your Instant Pot. Let it heat up until it reads HOT. Then add the olive oil and onions and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.
- Then add the cubed chicken, spices (cumin though black pepper), and Herbamare. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Then add diced red bell pepper and carrots; sauté a minute more.
- Next add the tomato paste, and cooked brown rice. Add more rice for a thicker stew if desired.
- Add ONLY 4 cups of the chicken stock (or less for a thicker stew).
- Press CANCEL. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid. Move the valve to SEALING position. Set the Instant Pot for 5 minutes on HIGH pressure.
- When it is done, move the valve to VENTING position and quickly release the pressure. I like to do this under the hood of my stove to vent out all of the extra steam.
- Stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust salt or seasonings if necessary.
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 1,800 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Comments
I made this recipe Sunday night alongside the spring salad and the dressing. What a perfect combination!!
There is no doubt that i'll be making this meal again. I told all the girls at work about your blog as they were all wondering what smelled so good :) Their all dieticians, nutritionists and naturopaths, so they very much appreciate recipes that are this nutritious and at the same time mouth watering.
I can't wait to try your other recipes! Thanks for sharing.
Making this right now. The stew does make the house smell amazing. We also had the apples/quinoa breakfast this morning, delish. We're going to make some for tomorrow morning tonight as well.
Shirley - Thanks! :)
Marin - Thanks for sharing your version of the recipe. I bet it was great! :)
Diane - I love your Friday foodie fixes! Looks like you have a lot of recipes for this one! :)
Jennifer - I didn't know the link was not working, will look into it now. Thanks! :)
Is the link to Tom's article not working or did you remove it? I'd like to read it again.
This looks like something to dive into on these cold wet days we've been having. Thank you for sharing it on Friday Foodie Fix.
I made this wonderful recipe tonight for dinner. I used 2 cans of kidney beans and added a chopped zucchini at the end. I probably let it simmer on the stove for about 40 minutes. My kids and husband all ate it up and asked for seconds!
Thank you.
Marin
Oh, that looks so good! I love how you remind us what to eat together for better digestion. :-)
Off to read Tom's article now ... thanks to you both!
Shirley
Michele - Glad your kids liked the pancakes! Have you tried Sunbutter made from sunflower seeds? That would be a good replacement for the nut butters in the crispy treats. Enjoy! :)
Thanks for all of your lovely comments, I enjoy reading them! Enjoy the stew! :)
Oh boy does this stew look delicious! I will be making it this weekend. I am also really looking forward to reading Tom's article today, thanks again guys!
Looking forward to making the stew later this week it looks awesome. Ali I would like to make your Brown rice Crispy treats from your cookbook but my son has a nut allergy, what you replace the almond butter/peanut butter with? By the way I made you Rice pancakes yesterday and my kids love them. Thanks for the amazing cooking book and your blog.
Thank you! I'm printing out Tom's article so I can go over it in depth later and share with my family. I majored in Nutritional Science and I really appreciate the "academic" side of your research as well as the wonderful kid friendly, healthy recipes.
You're one of the rare health food blogs that makes eating well seem like a simple pleasure rather than inconvenient & tasteless. Thank you. I always hang out for your next post. I really love your blueberry syrup recipe too, I use it all the time.
Yum. Autumn is my favorite season for many reasons, but #1 is because of all the great soups and stews there are to enjoy!
By the way, Ali, I tried your "Honey Kissed Peach Muffins" recipe a couple weeks ago and loved it. I've since made a variation with pumpkin puree, spices, and raisins...it's delicious. Thanks for the inspiration!
Mmmm... it definitely is beginning to be stew weather around here. Can't wait to delve into Tom's article.
This sounds lovely! I love brown rice, but have never put it in soup - sounds like a perfect combination =D.
That looks REALLY good!
Oh, I am excited to make this with short grain brown rice and some kind of beans. I've been loving butter beans lately, so perhaps I will use those. Superb recipes, as always.
I always look forward to your blog posts and I learn so much from you both. Tom's article is printing right now so we can read it for school today. Thanks for sharing it with us. It seems like a daily occurrence that we are eating and enjoying your recipes at our house. What a blessing you are!
This stew looks great! I'm always on the lookout for new soup and stew ideas, so I'll add this one to my list.