Family Favorite Chicken and Lemongrass Stew

Courtesy nutritionist Talya Lutzker | Photography By Amanda Chasten I’ve taught Ayurvedic cooking classes for 20 years and every time we make this stew, it stops the show. It is perfect for chilly winter nights, but is so fresh and exotic you may end up making it year-round. Use any variety of miso paste that you like for this dish, but a white or yellow miso tastes best. There are several soy-free miso pastes that taste great in this dish— including chickpea, brown rice, and adzuki bean. The almond milk gives this stew richness without being as heavy as coconut milk.

2 cups almond milk, fresh or store bought 2 cups coconut milk 1½ tablespoons miso paste 1 teaspoon green curry paste 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced 2 stalks lemongrass, pounded and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1½ teaspoons dried dill 1 teaspoon mineral-rich salt 2 pounds organic, boneless, skinless chicken thighs 4 cups bok choy, diced Juice of 2 limes 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Put the almond milk, coconut milk, miso paste, green curry paste, ginger, lemongrass, coriander, dill and salt in a medium-sized stockpot over medium heat.

Cook for 8 minutes, until the mixture is warm. Add the whole chicken thighs, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir once every 5 minutes to prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the bok choy and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Remove the lemongrass and chicken thighs. Discard the lemongrass.

Shred or cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and return it to the pot.

Stir in the lime juice and garnish each serving with 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Tip: Rich in magnesium, potassium and antioxidants, miso paste contains lots of digestive enzymes that support, protect and balance the stomach and large intestine. Cooking miso depletes these enzymes, so the miso called for in this recipe is primarily meant for flavor. To add digestive enzymes back, serve this stew with ½ teaspoon of fresh miso paste alongside each individual serving.

Talya Lutzker is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, cookbook author, creator of the RAD Cleanse and founder of Ayurveda Every Day with Talya. She helps people integrate Ayurveda into their lives so they can heal, discover what radiance feels like and put self-care at the center of their life.