A pinch of spicy, a dash of healthy proteins, a touch veggies and you have a lot delicious hearty stew. This is not your average stew. With a Spanish flare in spice and proteins this meal will have your kitchen smelling GLORIOUS!
As the days get cold things like stews, roasts and casseroles are top of the list for me. I love a hot meal through the winter.
Say goodbye to cold salads and hello to warm meals like this.
Personally I served this over some cauliflower rice for me and jasmine rice for my fiancé. I also added some homemade naan for days we were hungrier. This stew would be delicious on it's own too!
I only added half the can of chickpeas and saved the rest for roasting in salads and with veggies but if you are a chickpea person feel free to add the whole can or cut back on the chicken. If you're a vegetarian, add 2 cans and omit the chicken! Pescatarian? Sub chicken for shrimp or white fish and cut the cooking time down by 10.
Make this recipe work for you!
Spanish Chicken and Chickpea Stew
8 Servings | Cook time: 30 minutes
Notes: between the dark slightly spicy tomato sauce and the hearty chickpeas this stew will heal you from the inside out. Serve alone, over a scoop of rice/cauliflower rice or with crusty bread/pita/naan.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 lbs chicken breast (~3 large breasts)
1/2 large red onion, ~150g, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 28oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes
1/2-1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups spinach
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Directions:
Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil to a large pot over medium heat, I used a dutch oven for this but any large pot will work.
Add chicken breasts to the pot to sear. Season the top side with salt and pepper. Sear for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to brown. Use tongs to flip the chicken, season the browned side and sear another 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil to the pot along with red onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne and brown sugar to cook for a minute or so.
Then add in tomato paste and stir into garlic and onion to evoke the flavor from it.
Pour in the plum tomatoes and use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes into the onions and spices. Stir everything together.
Bring the tomato mixture to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer (medium-low to low). Return the chicken to the pot fully submerged in the tomatoes.
Allow the stew to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the chicken and carefully dice into bite size chunks.
Return the chicken to the pot along with chickpeas and spinach. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes until the stew has reduced and thickened and the spinach has wilted.
Turn off the heat and stir in fresh parsley. Season with additional salt as needed. Ladle into bowls over rice.
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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.
