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30 Day Challenge Week 2: Check in With Your Coaches

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Winter Root Vegetables

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Winter Root Vegetables

Healthy Recipes

Overview

Meal: Lunch or Dinner 
Dietary Type: Omnivore      
Prep Time: 15 minutes 
Cook Time: 4-5 hours 
Serves: 4 



The Dish
Coq au Vin is a classic French dish made using chicken that is stewed in wine. We keep the tradition of cooking in wine, but added in a few more hearty winter vegetables for a complete and more nutritionally-dense meal. 

The ease and simplicity of the slow cooker makes this recipe just about as ‘hands free’ as possible, freeing up your time to tackle that to-do list all while your dinner slowly simmers to perfection. 

The chicken is seasoned and seared before the onions, garlic, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms are added. A combination of red wine and chicken broth deepens the flavors along with the addition of savory herbs and tomato paste.  

Hacking this Recipe: Want to make this recipe while you’re at work? Slow cook the vegetables (along with the wine, broth, etc.) and just leave the chicken out of the equation until you’re just about ready to serve. Cook the chicken separately, using the slow cooker broth for deglazing if you choose to bake, broil, or sauté the chicken. 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs 
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt 
1/4 teaspoon (.5 g) black pepper 
1 each (140 g) yellow onion, peeled and diced 
3 each (12 g) garlic cloves, peeled and minced 
2 each (130 g) parsnips, peeled and sliced 
3 each (100 g) carrots, peeled and sliced 
1 each small (250 g) sweet potato, peeled and diced 
8 oz. (200 g) baby portobello mushrooms, quartered or sliced 
1 cup (237 ml) red wine 
1 cup (237 ml) chicken or vegetable broth 
4 sprigs (1 g) thyme 
2 each (.25 g) bay leaves
3 tablespoons (45 ml) tomato paste  
salt and pepper to taste 

Preparation:

  • Program your slow cooker to ‘sauté’ and add oil.  
  • While the slow cooker is preheating, season chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, carefully add chicken to the cooker and sear on both sides until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from the slow cooker (the chicken will not be cooked all the way through) and set aside on a plate. 
  • Reduce temperature from sauté to ‘slow cook’ (if you have the option, program to slow cook at medium). Add onion, garlic, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, wine, broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, cover and cook for 2 hours. 
  • Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Return chicken to the slow cooker, cover and cook for another 2 hours. 
  • Once the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, divide into bowls for serving. 

Vegetarian and Vegan Modifications: Boost the vegetables in this recipe for a veggie-centric version of this classic dish (removing the chicken all together).  

Gluten Free Modifications: N/A 

Have you ever considered planning out your meals more carefully, just like you do your workouts? Check out our calendar-based Meal Plan, which was built with registered dietitians and nutritionists, so you know it's going to be good. It's a healthy, whole food meal plan that details 3 meals and 3 snacks, every day for four weeks.