Green Bean Stew with Leftover Chicken

Green Bean Stew with Leftover Chicken, a hearty 30-minute meal that goes down well with the whole family. It uses fresh vegetables for a nutritious touch, and chicken to make it more filling. A favourite recipe with my little girls, this is the one dish that never fails to impress.

This may be a simple Romanian recipe, but it's too good not to share it. Sometimes, the simplest ingredients create the best food. Budget-friendly, this stew can be made with whatever other ingredients you have around. Stews are usually the way to go when you need to clear the fridge, as there is rarely the case of ingredients not quite working together.

Since my older daughter likes soups of any kind, I called this a green bean soup for her, and it has been her favourite recipe ever since she was a toddler. It could, by all means, become a soup if the amount of stock/broth is increased, but I quite like it as a stew that has just the right amount of liquid and enough veggies to make it filling and hearty.

In Romania we love green beans, either in soups or stews, or sauteed with lots of garlic, and this recipe Last-Minute Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic makes the best starter for your Thanksgiving dinner menu. Or any other occasion throughout the year.

Jump to:

• Step-by-step photos and instructions
• Easy swaps
• What to do with leftover green beans
• Green Bean Stew with Leftover Chicken

Step-by-step photos and instructions

This recipe can be a life-saver on a busy day when time is short, but you still want a healthy and comforting meal. And with back to school time in full swing, there is nothing better than coming up with a quick recipe to make everybody happy.

• in a large pan, heat up the oil and fry the onion on a low to medium heat until soften and golden
• add the chopped garlic, green beans and carrots
• pour over the stock/broth, place a lid on and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
• add the tomato puree and shredded chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes
• season with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh dill and parsley
• serve hot

Easy swaps

An easy recipe that goes down a treat with us, and certainly a sample recipe for us Romanians. It has been one of my favourite dishes too every since I was a little girl, and my mum was cooking it from scratch with vegetables from her own garden.

Fresh green beans can be swapped for frozen ones which can easily be found in the frozen vegetable section in any larger supermarket. They are as nutritious as the fresh ones, and don't cook for much longer than the fresh ones.

I usually add only carrots to the mix, but any other vegetables can be added, peas, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, mixed frozen vegetables, and so on. The leftover chicken can be swapped for any other leftover meat such as leftover beef, pork, or any plant-based meat substitutes.

What to do with leftover green beans

Green beans are particularly popular at Thanksgiving, and if you happen to have any leftover green beans, this stew is the recipe you need.

Since the green beans would be already cooked, add them to the pan once the onion is ready, and we only need half of the amount of broth. Leave them to cook for 5 minutes, and finish the dish the same way. And job done!

The recipe is pretty similar to my Chicken and Green Pea Stew, another delicious Romanian recipe that my family can't have enough of. Do give them a go, they are as delicious as they are easy to make.

If you’ve liked my GREEN BEAN STEW WITH LEFTOVER CHICKEN or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.