Giada De Laurentiis’ One-Pot Loaded Chicken Stew Is ‘Healthy Comfort Food’ Without All the Cleanup

Eating healthfully doesn’t have to mean using two dozen ingredients and spending the day in the kitchen. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis‘ One-Pot Loaded Chicken Stew proves this point with a hearty, filling meal requiring minimal cleanup. Here’s how to put together the Food Network star’s ultimate one-pot dish.

De Laurentiis has been preparing more healthful dishes

The Everyday Italian star recently published her current book, Eat Better, Feel Better, in which she chronicled her health journey over the last 10 years.

Appearing on Today, De Laurentiis explained that her very bad habits of eating whatever was around – rich foods, creamy sauces, brownies, and more – had led to her feeling sluggish and run down.

She began to really listen “to my body and eating the foods that loved me back,” she said. “That helped my body heal itself and also indicated what foods worked for my body and what foods didn’t.”

The book features a bounty of good-for-you recipes that don’t skimp on flavor, including Quinoa Pancakes; Sheet Pan Parmesan Shrimp and Veggies; Roasted Cauliflower, and Baby Kale Salad; Grilled Strip Steak with Scallion Salsa Verde; and Chocolate and Orange Brown Rice Treats. Of course, the Rome-born De Laurentiis couldn’t leave out Italian recipes such as Fusilli with Chicken and Broccoli Rabe and Easy Chicken Piccata.

How to make her One-Pot Loaded Chicken Stew

As De Laurentiis notes on her lifestyle and food blog Giadzy, this recipe is perfect for when “you need healthy comfort food with minimal time and don’t want to do a ton of dishes.”

And you may already have all the ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry. The chef’s recipe calls for: olive oil, diced celery, diced carrots, a chopped onion, salt and pepper, chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, fresh basil, tomato paste, one bay leaf, dried thyme, two chicken breasts, a package of frozen peas, and a can of kidney beans.

The dish comes together quickly. The vegetables are sauteed until they’re tender and salt-and-peppered. Next, the tomatoes are stirred in, followed by the broth, basil, tomato paste, and seasonings. Allow the mixture to simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate. In the meantime, the stew can continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

Once the chicken has cooled, shred it and return it to the pot, along with the beans and peas. De Laurentiis notes that the bay leaf should be removed.

Reviewers dished on De Laurentiis’ rustic dish

On the Giadzy site, the chef’s followers chimed in on the simple, filling stew.

“Just made this stew and it is amazing and so very easy too! Thank you, Giada,” said one reviewer.

Another home cook said, “I have made this twice and I am getting ready to make it again. It’s fantastic! Super easy and healthy. It also reheats really well. Very flavorful and satisfying. Thanks, Giada!”