My mother-in-law was not a fan of stew. She told me on several occasions that stew is for people who are “too lazy to make soup”. I (respectfully) disagree with her opinion, and believe that stew is more practical for those days when I don’t have time to cut veggies into dainty little pieces to be gracefully slurped along with copious amounts of broth. Give me something thick and hearty. And sooner, rather than later!
“Spezzatino” is the Italian word for stew, but much more fun to say! And this is filled with the meat, vegetables, and seasonings frequently found in Italian dishes.
Stew is typically cooked for a long period of time over low heat, while soup only cooks until the vegetables are tender. But the main differences between soup and stew – in my mind – are:
- size of chunks
- quantity of liquid
- amount of effort
I am a firm believer that food can be prepared in a hurry, and yet taste like it’s simmered all day long. This incredible spezzatino takes 45 minutes, start to finish, without being labour-intensive.
(Yes, those are yellow carrots! They are super-sweet, and a fun alternative to traditional orange.)
Before adding dried herbs, it’s a good idea to “wake them up” from the coma they have been in for months. I always crush dried rosemary with a pestle and mortar to get rid of all the sharp, pokey pieces, and then toss in the other herbs for a quick bruising. Toasting them in the pot will also bring out the taste of dried herbs.
I added an entire bulb of roasted garlic to the stew a few minutes before serving, because I like the rich, sweet taste of it. If you want to use fresh garlic, 3 minced cloves can be added for toasting at the same time as the herbs.
Flavours get richer as spezzatino sits, so make it ahead, if you like, and serve the next day. Or freeze leftovers for a quick, reheated dinner some crazy evening, or lunch at work.
Serve this spezzatino with a chunk of bread so you can soak up any extra juice brazen enough to stay on the bottom of your bowl.
PrintChicken, Artichoke, and Cannellini Spezzatino
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Ingredients
- 4 stalks celery, cut into pieces
- 4 large carrots, cut into thick slices
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thick
- 2 Tbsp basil
- 1 Tbsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary, crushed
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 3–4 cups chicken broth
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 – 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
- 1 head roasted garlic (or 3 cloves minced fresh garlic)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron soup pot over medium heat, then cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes before adding the mushrooms (and fresh garlic, if using) for 3 minutes.
- While vegetables are cooking, cut up chicken.
- Add the basil, thyme, crushed rosemary, and black pepper, allowing it to toast for 1-2 minutes
- Pour in 3 cups of the stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, and salt. Add the chicken and press down to submerge in liquid. Use final cup of stock, if needed, to cover chicken.
- Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the beans, artichoke hearts, and roasted garlic and simmer another 10-15 minutes, until everything is hot and tender, and liquid has reduced.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
