Creamy Chicken with Cannellini Beans & Sorrel Pesto
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 35 mins
A rich and creamy Italian-inspired dinner of organic chicken braised with tender cannellini beans and silky smooth crème fraîche, then finished with dollops of tangy sorrel and Parmesan pesto.
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834 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 250g diced chicken leg
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 onions
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 250g potatoes
  • 400g tin of cannellini beans
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 40g parmesan
  • A handful of sorrel
  • 1 lemon
  • 50g baby leaf spinach
  • ½ x 200g crème fraîche
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 300ml boiling water
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Pour 1 tbsp oil into a pan and warm to a medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken leg to the pan. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 5-8 mins, turning once or twice, till browned.

  • 2.

    While the chicken is cooking, scrub and dice the carrot. Peel the onions and finely chop them. Peel and finely chop the garlic clove.

  • 3.

    Scoop the chicken out of the pan into a bowl. Add the sliced carrot, onions and garlic to the hot pan. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for 5-6 mins, stirring often, till slightly softened and browned.

  • 4.

    Peel and dice the potatoes. Drain the cannellini beans through a sieve and rinse.

  • 5.

    Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices from the bowl. Slide in the chopped potatoes and drained cannellini beans. Pour in 300ml boiling water. Crumble in the stock cube and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.

  • 6.

    Meanwhile, make the sorrel pesto. Finely grate the Parmesan (scoop a little aside for later in the recipe). Scrape the Parmesan into a small food processor or blender. Add the sorrel leaves and half of the spinach leaves. Grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in half of the juice. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper and pour in 1 tbsp oil. Blend till everything is finely chopped. No food processor? See our tip below.

  • 7.

    Stir the remaining spinach leaves through the chicken and beans till they are wilted. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Have a taste of the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.

  • 8.

    Spoon the chicken and beans into bowls and top with dollops of pesto and a scattering of the remaining Parmesan. Serve with wedges of the remaining lemon half for squeezing.

  • Tip

    No food processor, no problem
    To make your sorrel pesto, grate the parmesan into a bowl. Chop the sorrel as finely as possible and add it to the cheese. Mix with the lemon juice, zest, oil and salt and pepper till well combined. It will be chunkier, but just as tasty.

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