Stranger Foods

Smoky chicken and bean stew

Serves 4 2 hr

2 hr	Total
15 mins	Prep
1 hr 45 mins	Cook

When it comes to wholesome home-cooked food, there’s nothing quite like a stew. This is undeniably one of the best, with bacon and paprika turning the flavours up a notch, making sure every spoonful is rich, smoky and satisfying. The store-cupboard ingredients help keep costs down – and we’ve included 3 different methods, so that this recipe is ready on a timescale that suits you!

Ingredients

x0.5

Metric

Imperial

low-calorie cooking spray
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, visible fat removed
3 smoked bacon medallions, cut into 1 cm dice
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm -thick slices
1x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
1x 440 g tin reduced-sugar and reduced-salt baked beans in tomato sauce
1 large red roasted pepper in brine from a jar, drained and diced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or Henderson’s relish
1 low-salt chicken stock cube, crumbled
40 g curly kale, shredded, weighed after any large stalks removed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
80 g vegetables, steamed

Instructions

°C

°F

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and bacon and cook for until lightly browned on all sides, then transfer the chicken and bacon to the casserole dish.
Spray the large frying pan again with low-calorie cooking spray, add the onion, garlic and carrots and cook for about until the onion is softening and golden. Add to the chicken and bacon in the casserole dish. Add the chopped tomatoes, baked beans, roasted pepper, tomato puree, smoked paprika, chilli powder, thyme and Worcestershire sauce or Henderson’s relish. Add the crumbled stock cube and stir well. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake in the oven for , until the chicken is cooked through, shows no sign of pinkness and the stew has thickened. Stir in the kale for the last of cooking, until wilted and tender. Check the stew towards the end of cooking and add a little water if needed.
Season with salt and pepper, if needed, and serve with steamed vegetables.

Smoky chicken and bean stew

Ingredients

Instructions

Pinch of Nom Express