High-Protein Chicken & Multi-Bean Chilli
The gentle one, built for a day when you're not feeling great and want something warm in 20 minutes. Uses already-cooked chicken, so there's no searing and no fuss.
why it works
About 420 kcal for 45g of protein and 14g of fibre, with roughly 6g of fat total. Mild chilli powder and a well-simmered sauce make this notably easier on a recovering gut than a fierce Cajun version, and the spinach going in at the end keeps its folate intact.
Ingredients
- 150g cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
- ½ tin mixed beans (black, kidney, borlotti), rinsed and drained well
- ½ tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- large handful baby spinach
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp mild chilli powder
- pinch of oregano
- 100ml low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp olive oil
Method
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Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until soft.
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Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder and oregano and cook for a minute until fragrant.
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Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and stock, and bring to a gentle simmer.
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In go the rinsed beans and the cooked chicken. Lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer gently for 10–12 minutes so the flavours actually meld rather than just sitting alongside each other.
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Stir the spinach through right at the end — about a minute, just until it wilts into the hot sauce.
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Ladle into a bowl with one or two slices of toasted sourdough for dipping.
Serve it with
remix
- Doubles cleanly for two with lunch left over
- Any cooked leftover chicken works — roast, poached, shredded
- Swap the chicken for a second half-tin of beans to make it vegan
- A square of 100% chocolate at the end if you want it richer
- Ladle it over rice or bulgur instead of dipping bread