Chicken & Lentil Stew

Chicken & Lentil Stew
Slightly modified from The South Beach Diet Super Charged

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves 4-6 (6 SB standards, 4 by ours)

Ingredients:
1 tbps extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
½ -1 tsp dried basil
½ - 1 tsp dried oregano
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ -1 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (I usually puree a whole can and freeze them in teaspoon portions)
1 lb/450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut cross-wise into thin strips
1 (15oz/454ml) can of lentils, drained & rinsed
1 (15oz/454ml) can of diced tomatoes & their juice (fire-roasted are my personal choice)
¾ cup lower sodium chicken broth
4 cups baby spinach

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, herbs, pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir until everything is well mixed. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes. The onions should start to become translucent and everything begins to smell heavenly.

2. Stir in the tomato paste and chipotle chili paste and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken strips and cook for 2 minutes , stirring everything together.

3. Add the lentils, tomatoes and juice, broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through (7-10 minutes).
4. Stir in the spinach…I know, it looks like it won’t all fit in the pot, but spinach wilts down quickly, if you “fold” it into the stew. Cover and cook for just another minute or two. Taste for seasoning and serve warm.