Organic Chicken and White Bean Stew With Spinach and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

                                                                                       

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

• 8Roma tomatoes, halved, seeds and inner flesh removed
• Olive- or vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 2 1/2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
• 2teaspoonschopped fresh thyme
• 3/4teaspoonsalt
• 1/2teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
• 4slicesthick-cut bacon, diced
• 1cupchopped onion
• 8cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4cupchopped carrots
• 3/4cupchopped celery
• 3cans (15.5 oz each) great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 6cupslower-sodium fat-free chicken broth, preferably organic
• 2whole cooked chicken breasts (from 2 rotisserie chickens, preferably organic),
  boned, skin removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch-by-1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4cupchopped shallots
• 1 3/4poundsbaby spinach

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350°. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with 1 tbsp oil, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, then arrange tomatoes cut side down. Bake until soft and skins shrivel, about 30 minutes. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in onion and half the minced garlic. Add carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and begin to color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add beans; cook 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes. Add chicken, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. (The stew can be made ahead to this point and kept refrigerated overnight.) Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shallots, stirring often, until they begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rest of the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until lightly browned; transfer mixture to a bowl. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach in handfuls, turning with tongs to cook evenly. Cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and remove from heat. Divide stew (reheated if made ahead), then spinach, among 8 shallow bowls. Lean 2 tomato halves against spinach and spoon some shallot mixture on top. Serve immediately.

The skinny

369 calories per serving, 15 g fat (3.9 g saturated), 32.3 g carbs, 17.6 g fiber, 29.3 g protein