Greek Chicken Stew With Cauliflower and Olives

Updated Feb. 9, 2023

Greek Chicken Stew With Cauliflower and Olives
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(3,687)
Comments
Read comments

Chicken, cauliflower, olives, tomatoes, feta — this is a stew of extraordinary flavor and complexity, down to its hints of cinnamon and garlic. The recipe uses skinless chicken legs or thighs; you could substitute ones with the skin if you like. (But don’t use chicken breasts, which will dry out.) You can use more or less chicken depending on your needs. And, important to note, you can freeze the finished dish, making it an excellent delivery to new parents or anyone in need of a home-cooked meal.

Featured in: Chicken Stews, to Savor or Store Away

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1large red onion, chopped
  • 2 to 4garlic cloves (to taste), minced
  • 6 to 8chicken legs and/or thighs, skinned
  • 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 128-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice, pulsed in a food processor
  • ½teaspoon cinnamon
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • ½teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1small or ½ large cauliflower, cored, broken into florets, and sliced about ½ inch thick
  • 12kalamata olives (about 45 grams), rinsed, pitted and cut in half (optional)
  • 1 to 2tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 to 2ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

639 calories; 45 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 43 grams protein; 1281 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep, heavy lidded skillet or casserole and brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the pieces to a plate or bowl as they’re browned. Pour off the fat from the pan. Add the vinegar to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.

  2. Step 2

    Add the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan, and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and let the onion cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it is lightly browned and very soft.

  3. Step 3

    Add the garlic and stir together for a minute or two more, until the garlic is fragrant, then add the tomatoes and their juice, the cinnamon, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is reduced slightly and fragrant.

  4. Step 4

    Return the chicken pieces to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. If necessary, add enough water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Add the cauliflower and kalamata olives and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is just about falling off the bone. Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with grains, with the feta sprinkled on top if desired.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: The stew keeps for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator and freezes well. With leftovers, make a delicious rice casserole by spreading cooked rice over the bottom of a baking dish and topping with the chicken and sauce. Heat through for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
3,687 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

I would really like to see the nutritional info for this recipe, and others on the site.

I roasted cauliflower, browned bone-in chicken thighs with skin, deglazed with balsamic/red wine vinegar, poured vinegar over chicken and put in bottom of oven w/cauliflower on top rack. To sauce, added extra cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and fresh thyme, tomatoes, little stock, roasted cauliflower, olives, and let sauce reduce a bit then poured sauce over chicken and put it all back into the oven for 30 min. Perfect! Took about 1.5 hrs, with salad prep, table set etc.

Feta is never unnecessary.

Will definitely make in an Insta pot next time. Browning the chicken made such a mess, and the Insta pot would’ve saved a lot of time. Also, perhaps I kept the flame too low when simmering, but my chicken was not falling off the bone. It was pretty tough. The flavors were good, but I felt that despite seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper before browning and also along the way, it was still not enough. The olives and the feta helped, but I I should’ve tasted the sauce periodically and adjusted. After serving, there was quite a bit left, so I added more salt and let it cook a little longer on a higher flame. It was so much better. Don’t be afraid to season this dish. It needs it!

Really easy. No chicken but I read the comments (always a must read ) and roasted the cauliflower with cubed tofu . Added a bit of red wine , used stick cinnamon and added the oregano both dry & large fresh stem as well as thyme & red pepper flakes. Tossed in half a can of garbanzo beans I had in the fridge & served with a bit of pearl couscous. Great! Next time I’ll try it w chicken and keep all the above. This is a good base for improv. Just say YES.

I found this disappointingly bland, I think it was adding water really diluted the flavours. I would imagine using chicken stock instead of water would help, as some reviewers have suggested but I won't make it again

Private comments are only visible to you.

or to save this recipe.