Tender chicken, vegetables, fresh thyme, and a rich savory broth — comfort food with a serious protein boost.
🍗 Ingredients — 4 servings
For the stew
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 500 g potatoes, cut into small cubes
- 750 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 150 g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt to taste
- 100 g frozen peas
- 100 g nonfat Greek yogurt (optional, for extra creaminess and protein)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For serving
- 4 small slices crusty whole-grain bread, about 40 g each
- Fresh thyme or parsley for garnish
👨🍳 Instructions
- Season the chicken with paprika, black pepper, and a little salt.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Cook for about 5–6 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for another 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the potatoes, chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Stir well and bring everything to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are nearly tender.
- Return the browned chicken to the pot. Simmer for another 8–10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches 74°C / 165°F internally.
- Stir in the frozen peas and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low. If you want a creamy stew, mix the Greek yogurt with a few spoonfuls of hot broth in a separate bowl, then slowly stir it back into the stew. Don’t boil after adding the yogurt.
- Remove the bay leaf. Add lemon juice and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and thyme.
- Serve hot with a slice of crusty whole-grain bread.
💪 Approximate macros
Per serving including 40 g crusty bread:
| Approx. | |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~500 kcal |
| Protein | 50–55 g |
| Carbs | ~50 g |
| Fat | ~10–12 g |
| Fiber | ~7–9 g |
🔥 Make it even leaner
For a higher protein-to-calorie ratio, use chicken breast + nonfat Greek yogurt, skip the olive oil, and choose a smaller slice of bread. You can get the meal to around 45–50 g protein for ~400 calories depending on your ingredients.