Smoky chicken and bean stew

There’s something deeply comforting about a bubbling pot of stew on the stove—especially when it’s inspired by a recipe that you know works well. Last night, with the abrupt end to summer (it’s rain rain rain here in Wales) and a fresh meal plan for the week ahead, I almost failed on day one. I did the usual of realising I didn’t have half the stuff I needed for said stew. The result? A delicious, improvised riff on Donal’s Chicken and Chorizo Stew that turned out just as satisfying as the original.

From recipe to real life: making it work with what you have

I feel like this should be my motto! Honestly, Dave is forever teasing me for the combinations I put together, asking why the pivotal ingredient in a recipe is entirely different to what he’s presented with. Thankfully, the majority of the time it works out ok! As long as you’re sensible with your swaps, you shouldn’t go too wrong.

Smoky chicken and bean stew

Serves 2+1 little

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme / oregano / mixed herbs
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
• 250ml chicken stock
• 1 x 400g tin of mixed bean salad, drained and rinsed if in vinaigrette
• Fluffy white rice garnished with coriander and sumac, to serve.

Method:

• Gently sauté the onions and garlic with the paprika and herbs until softened.
• Then, brown the chicken thighs all over and add to the onions and garlic pan. Give it all a good stir before adding the tomatoes and stock.
• Simmer for 1 hour, stir in beans 5 minutes before serving.

No chorizo? No problem. I browned chicken thighs and slowly simmered them in tomatoes with onion, garlic, and plenty of smoked paprika to bring in that smoky depth.

No cannellini beans? I swapped in a tin of mixed bean salad in vinaigrette—thoroughly rinsed to remove the acidity.

Extra mushrooms that need using? In they went – but I’ve left them out of this recipe!

No crusty bread? I served it over rice with sumac, fresh coriander, and a dollop of sambal manis for a fiery kick. 🔥

Try for yourself! Shake up some recipes and get creative with what you have in!

• You’ll find the original recipe in Donal Skehan’s excellent cookbook: HomeCooked.
• I also recommend Megan Davies’ Fridge Raid: Flexible, kitchen-foraged recipes for low-waste meals for great recipes with all sorts of substitutions.
• Finally, Economy Gastronomy for ideas on what to do with leftover ingredients, by Allegra McEvedy.