– This simple chicken stew recipe is perfect for when the days start to turn a little chillier –
I’m a vocal advocate for eating hearty, simple recipes composed of real ingredients, so you’ll find a lot of these kind of dishes in any culinary projects I’ve got a hand in developing. Think tender braises, rich casseroles, and other comforting, down-home dishes – but the key is that they have to be good for you and support the kind of life you want to live. In other words, they need to be easy to make and relatively healthy (or at least of the whole foods ilk).
Let’s talk about my favorite chicken stew, one that’s super simple to make and slow-cooked in tomato sauce with red wine, onions, olives, and capers. The tartness of the tomato and red wine lend an intoxicating aroma and rich flavor, balanced by a generous dose of olives and capers, because I love salt. I also add bay leaves and basil, though you could probably experiment with any number of herbs. I’ve also made this with any combination of thyme, rosemary, and oregano, with fine results.
This simple chicken stew recipe is versatile and keeps very well, so you can prepare it ahead of time for equally delicious—if not even better—results. Like a lasagne, the flavors seem to get better overnight. You can also prep the ingredients the night before and set it up to simmer in a slow cooker or crock pot while you’re at work, another easy method to get to the same great result. And it has the added benefit of feeling as though someone’s been slaving away in your kitchen all day long once you get home. And this is why we LOVE the slow cooker, right?
I personally like to use chicken dark meat for this stew as it stays more tender than white meat, but you’re more than welcome to substitute chicken breast if you prefer. Turkey works well here, also, and this can be a great use for leftovers. Vegetarians and folks looking to simplify the dish even further can give it a poultry-free twist with canned chickpeas and chopped kale, instead. Just cook it uncovered and shorten the cooking time to about 30 minutes so that the beans and greens keep some of their structure.
Simple Chicken Stew Recipe with Tomatoes and Olives
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup black olives rinsed, pitted, and sliced
- 1/2 cup green olives rinsed, pitted, and sliced
- 1/4 cup capers rinsed
- One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes roughly broken up by hand
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2 stems of fresh basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves
- Cooked rice for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until shimmering. Add chicken and cook without moving until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until lightly browned on remaining sides, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. Add onion to pot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add black olives, green olives, and capers, and cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, red wine, bay leaves, and basil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and season with pepper. Return chicken to pot and bring to a simmer.
- Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until chicken is completely tender, about 2 hours. Remove lid and continue cooking for 15 minutes to lightly reduce cooking liquid. Discard basil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as desired. Stir in chopped parsley or basil, reserving some for garnish. Serve with rice, or cool and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.
