Chicken and kale stew with butter bean mash
Mix up your mash with blended butter beans! It's the perfect accompaniment to a hearty chicken, butternut squash and kale stew.
Ingredients
For the chicken and kale stew
- dash oil
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm/1in cubes
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 ​medium onion​, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 400g tin green lentils, drained
- 800ml​/1½ pint chicken​ stock (made with stock cubes)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
- 1 handful finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tsp mustard
- 80g/3oz kale, roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the butter bean mash
- 700g/1lb 9oz Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm/1in pieces
- 400g tin butter beans
- splash full-fat milk, if needed to loosen
- olive oil, to taste
Method
Heat a little oil in a large pan and then cook the butternut squash, celery, onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.
Add the flour to the vegetables and stir. Add the chicken thighs, lentils, stock, bay leaves, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, and mustard and simmer for 1 hour.​
Meanwhile, to make the butter bean mash, cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 15–20 minutes, or until tender.
Heat the butter beans in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, or until warm, then blend the butterbeans with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil, until as smooth as possible, you may need to add a tablespoon or so of hot water to loosen. ​
Drain the potatoes and ​mash together with the butter bean mixture, adding a splash of milk if needed to loosen. Season with salt and pepper. ​
When the chicken stew has cooked for an hour, add the kale and simmer for a further 5 minutes.​ Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the chicken and kale stew with the butter bean mash and garnish with more fresh thyme and parsley.