The lingering cold weather makes me crave warm, comforting foods, but the fact that it is, technically, spring makes me want lighter fare with loads of veggies. This stew recipe I pulled from my files (originally from Cooking Light, adapted slightly by me) was just the ticket!

Chicken Stew with Sweet Peppers
Serves 4 (about 1.5 cups each)

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern or white kidney beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth (preferably low-sodium)
1 cup chopped roasted bell peppers (I used a jar from Trader Joe’s)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

  1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and chicken; saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
  2. Add zucchini and next 9 ingredients (zucchini through broth); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  3. Add bell peppers and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.

P.S. Just a little heads up that I’m planning a site redesign soon…as soon as possible, really. So if you visit and it looks different, or looks a little wonky (if you catch the site while I’m making adjustments), you don’t need to check your eyesight. Thought you might want to know.