Slow Cooker Gnocchi Chicken Stew

Lucky you! You have found a delicious chicken slow cooker recipe that is quick to make and very satisfying! Chicken is always so easy in the slow cooker and cooks up tender and soft. This is a great recipe to start in the morning to have a warm, nourishing, hearty meal ready, that everyone in your family will enjoy. I used kale in this recipe but you could easily substitute spinach, add extra veggies like broccoli and/or cauliflower, green beans, peas… I put a dash of my Vegan Parmesan Sprinkle on top when serving – it looks pretty and it gives the dish that little extra YUM! Serve with a loaf of crusty bread if you don’t mind the extra carbs! Leftovers reheated of this stew are so good for lunch the next day!

As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your slow cooker gnocchi chicken stew goodness and tag my IG account or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 5.5 hours on high, 8.5 hours on low / Serves: 4

Ingredients:

First stage:
3 Cloves of Garlic – sliced and let to sit
2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – cut into bite sized pieces
2 Carrots – chopped
2 Stalks of Celery – chopped
1 Medium Onion – diced
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
½ teaspoon Herbamare (or sea salt) and a few grinds of fresh Pepper
4 Cups Veggie Bouillon
Second Stage:
2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder – whisked in 2 Tablespoons of water
1 Cup 10% Cream or Whole Milk
1-pound (454 gr) Package of Gnocchi (or home-made if you have some!)
Third stage:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
8oz (227g) package of Cremini Mushrooms – sliced
1 Cup Chopped Kale – packed
1/3 Cup Cooked Bacon - crumbled - optional if not vegetarian (TIP: I fry up a package of bacon when the recipes I am meal planning that week will include bacon bits, so this ingredient is ready to use.) (Alternate: use small cubes of ham or kielbasa or use store-bought cooked bacon bits.)

How It’s Made:

First Stage:
I like to season my slow cooker as I get the ingredients together. I turn on the slow cooker to the high or low setting depending on how long I have to let it cook (I prefer the slow simmering on low) and spray or brush some olive oil around the bottom and up the sides a little, then season with a few grindings of pepper and some garlic powder.
Start by slicing the garlic and letting it sit to create its nutrition magic as you get the rest of the ingredients ready!
Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
Add the chopped carrot, celery and onion.
Add the basil, oregano and parsley.
Now add the garlic and stir the mixture in the slow cooker.
Add the bouillon, the Herbamare (or sea salt) and a few grindings of pepper.
Cover the slow cooker an let it cook on low for 7 hours (which I prefer to do) or 4½ hours on high.
Second Stage:
After this cooking time, add the arrowroot/water mixture (this will thicken the stew), the milk and the gnocchi. Cover the Slowcooker and let it cook for another hour at least to let the gnocchi cook and absorb the delicious sauce.
If you are adding broccoli, cauliflower or green beans to this recipe – add it now.)
Third Stage
In a medium frying pan, sauté the mushrooms in the olive oil until they have released their liquid and are nicely roasted. Add the kale and sauté with the mushrooms until the kale is soft. Add this to the slow cooker after the second stage hour of cooking is done and the gnocchi is soft. Add the crumbled bacon in too, if using. (If you are adding green peas to the recipe, add them in now). Give the stew a gentle stir to make sure the newly added ingredients are mixed in well.
If your stew is too thick, you can add small amounts of water (1/4 cup at a time) and gently stir until you have the consistency you wish.
Season with a few more grindings of Pepper. I do not add more salt. Give the stew another gentle stir.
Serve in pretty bowls!