Leftover Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika

Heat sunflower oil over high heat in a stockpot. Sauté onions, carrots, parsnip, potatoes, and celery until browned; stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent burning.

Add dry bay leaf and minced garlic. Stir well until garlic becomes fragrant, 10–15 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and stir well, scrapping and loosening fond on the bottom of pot. Fond is the caramelized, brown bits that stick to your pan while sautéing, packed with flavor.

Dissolve tomato paste with a little bit of chicken stock and stir into the pot. Season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

Add chicken and pour in the rest of the chicken stock, covering meat and veggies with broth. Bring to boil. If you don’t have enough chicken stock to cover the ingredients, you can top it off with water. Turn heat down and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Five minutes before soup is done simmering, add fresh parsley; you can set aside a little parsley for garnishing. Taste the stew for salt and pepper (adjust as needed) and serve warm with a slice of good bread.