Slow-Cooker Chicken Stew With Spinach, Lemon and Feta
This meal-in-a-bowl is inspired by Greek-style vegetable dishes like lemony potatoes or garlicky spinach. Here, potatoes and chicken thighs slow cook in a punchy mix of lemon, garlic and herbs; add the spinach at the very end so that it retains its freshness. Russets can be substituted for Yukon golds, but their texture will be more grainy and less creamy. A bunch of mature spinach or frozen spinach works best here because of its mellow flavor, as opposed to baby spinach, which is more tannic. Add the amount of dill that sounds best to you, or if you don’t like it, swap in a few tablespoons of fresh parsley or mint.
- Total:
- Serves: 5 persons
Ingredients
- 1 ½pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 medium), scrubbed, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1-inch wedges
- 8large garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
- 1shallot, finely chopped
- 3cups chicken broth
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1heaping tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary (leaves of about 1 large sprig) or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 ½teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½teaspoons coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- Black pepper
- Juice of 1 large lemon (about 1/4 cup juice)
- 1(8-ounce) bunch mature spinach, stems included, chopped, or 1½ cups frozen spinach
- ¼to 1/3 cup lightly packed roughly chopped dill
- Crumbled feta and crushed pita chips, for topping
Instructions
Step 1
In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken, potatoes, garlic, shallot, broth, olive oil, rosemary, oregano, salt, garlic powder, red-pepper flakes and several generous grinds of black pepper. Add about half the lemon juice. Cover and cook on low until the chicken and potatoes are tender, about 4 hours.Step 2
About 10 minutes before serving, with the slow cooker still on low, add the spinach and dill. Before serving, taste and add some or all of the remaining lemon juice, as well as more salt and pepper, if desired. Break the chicken thighs up into chunks by pressing the meat against the side of the slow cooker with a spatula or spoon. Serve in bowls topped with feta and crushed pita chips.