Curried chicken stew is quick, hearty and ‘a one-pot wonder’

The holidays are now behind us, so take a break and fix something easy, healthy and decidedly not holiday-inspired. Make a fragrant warming curry and call it a culinary break.

I use the term “curry” loosely since this recipe is hardly authentic. An authentic curry consists of a mountain of whole spices and aromatics, carefully and lovingly toasted, ground, sauteed and coaxed to create a potent paste that forms the base of a stew, which simmers for an ample amount of time to infuse its flavor. (I highly recommend doing this, by the way, if possible.)

This yellow curry rendition gets its name thanks to a generous shortcut addition of curry powder into the soup, which, in the category of quick meals, does the trick. It’s a healthy soup, brimming with vegetables and thickened with coconut milk, and it’s a one-pot wonder, prepared in about 30 minutes. Put aside roasts, bakes, sauces and icings: this soup is a spicy and refreshing hiatus, guaranteed to warm and restore.

Curried Chicken Stew

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press
• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (not light)
• 2 cups coarsely chopped curly green kale, Tuscan kale or spinach leaves (tough stems removed)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 red or green jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook over medium heat until the chicken colors on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point. It will continue to cook when added to the stew.)

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the same pot. Saute over medium heat until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and peppers and saute until the carrot brightens in color and the peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the curry powder, cumin and coriander, stirring to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spices for about 15 seconds.

3. Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

4. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale or spinach. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the leaves wilt, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the 1/4 cup cilantro and taste for seasoning.

5. Ladle the curry into bowls. Garnish with additional cilantro and the jalapeno slices. Serve with basmati rice.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning food and wine writer, cookbook author and recipe developer. She also authors the blog TasteFood, a compilation of more than 600 original recipes, photos and stories. More recipes can be found atchicago.suntimes.com/taste.