Creamy Dijon Chicken Stew

A rustic, creamy French-style casserole.

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Keyword cannellini beans, dijon, stew, white beans

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings - 6

Calories 310kcal

Author Lauren

1/3 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250 g chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (fat trimmed)
4 cloves garlic
1 cup leek bulb, cut in half & sliced thinly
1 cup carrot, diced
6 sprigs fresh thyme (Note 1)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup white wine (Note 2)
1 cup chicken stock, salt reduced/low sodium
1 cup milk, low fat
2 tsp dijon mustard (Note 3)
1 tsp wholegrain mustard (Note 3)
1 tbsp corn flour
400 g can cannellini / white beans, drained & rinsed, preferably reduced/no added salt (Note 4)

Place a small saucepan of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the dried barley to the saucepan, reduce the temperature to low and simmer for 35 minutes. Once cooked, drain the barley and set aside.
Heat 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the chicken breast and cook until lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside for later.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil in the large pot. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute or until it becomes lightly golden and fragrant.
Add the leek, carrot, mushroom, and and fresh thyme to the pot. Cook while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until the mushroom and leek has wilted.
Pour the white wine into the large pot and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid almost completely evaporates.
In a small bowl/jug, add the chicken stock, milk, Dijon and wholegrain mustards, and cornflour. Stir to mix the sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce mix into the large pot and stir it through the vegetables. Once the liquid starts to thicken and bubble, place the lid on the pot, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots have softened.
Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
Add the cannellini beans and cooked barley to the pot. Mix and remove from the heat.
Serve topped with cracked black pepper and crusty bread. Enjoy!

Thyme – Fresh suits this recipe well, as the flavour is not overwhelming. However, if you can’t find fresh thyme, you can just use 1/2 a teaspoon of dried.
White wine - Preferably a dry white wine. Highly recommended, but can be left out.
Dijon & wholegrain mustard - Are very high in sodium. I do not recommend adding anymore mustard, otherwise this recipe will no longer be low in sodium. I used the Coles brand Dijon and wholegrain mustards, as these were the lowest in sodium, and are also the cheapest.
Cannellini / whitebeans - I used the ‘no added salt’ canned cannellini beans from Woolworths, especially since the mustard and stock cube already add a fair bit of sodium. You can used dried, however, they will need to be cooked prior to adding to the stew, and will increase cooking time by roughly an hour.
Gluten free - Switch the barley for some brown rice, sorghum, quinoa, or other gluten free grains. Also be sure to double check if the mustards are gluten free.
Vegetarian - Switch the chicken breast for an extra can of cannellini beans or extra vegetables.
Storage - This stew should last up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Otherwise you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Nutrition - Calculated per serve, assuming 4 serves (not including bread).