Buttery cannellini beans with earthy herbs, tart lemon juice and luscious chicken chunks. This recipe is fab! But it takes a little while to make as there’s a do-ahead step for the marinade so that the chicken can soak up some flavors before being cooked. It’s well worth the time, however, so go ahead and give it a try.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh tarragon leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh basil leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked white cannellini beans

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, place olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, leaves of oregano, tarragon, basil, parsley, rosemary, and some ground black pepper
  2. Blend all ingredients well until a smooth bright green paste is formed (you might need to add a few spoonfuls of water if the mixture looks too thick)
  3. Marinate the cubed chicken in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or overnight
  4. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large pan over moderate heat until hot
  5. Add cubed chicken, and allow to brown lightly without stirring
  6. Begin turning chicken after 3 minutes, then add onion and saute for 2 minutes, until onion begins to soften
  7. Add beans and continue to cook for 2 minutes longer, until chicken is cooked through and a light sauce forms around chicken pieces
  8. Season with the salt and pepper

I opted to serve this over some orecchiette, sided by wilted collard greens. The recipe was inspired by this post on Whole Foods Market.

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