This Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Stew have all the components of a perfect meal on a cold and damp winter day. It’s both comforting and healthy plus it won’t break the bank.

Greek chicken and cauliflower stew

This recipe has all my favorite ingredients – chicken, cauliflower, olives, tomatoes, and feta – which is one of the many reasons why I love this dish. It all comes together nicely in a warm stew that can be eaten on its own or with rice. It is the perfect recipe to use our garden tomatoes that we froze last fall. This also freezes well so I often make a big batch and eat some of it later when I don’t feel like cooking.

This Greek-inspired Chicken and Cauliflower Stew is adapted from Martha Rose Schulman’s recipe from the NY Times. I often make a vegetarian or vegan version and add more cauliflower or root vegetables that I can roast. It’s a very easy meal to tailor to your liking or palate.

Note about Roasting

One difference between Schulman’s recipe and this one is that I roast the cauliflower instead of cooking it in the pan. Roasting at a high temperature in a short time shaves off about 10 minutes plus adds an intense flavor to the cauliflower only roasting can achieve.

I reduced the amount of chicken originally used from 6 skinless chicken thighs on the bone to 4 boneless thighs since that’s what I had in the freezer. To make up the difference, I added a bit more cauliflower which amps up the health factor. Feel free to use more chicken thighs if you prefer. Or, you can use chicken breast instead but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Adding more meat will increase your total cost so that’s some food for thought if you’re on a budget. 🙂

When it’s cold outside and you want something comforting and tasty, make this Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Stew your “go-to” winter warming meal. It’s the one-pot dish that will fill you up without tipping the scale or burning a hole in your wallet. The best part is it’s freezer friendly so make a big batch and enjoy it when you just don’t have the energy or time to cook in the kitchen. A win-win!

Make it vegetarian: omit the chicken. Add more cauliflower. You can also add broccoli or butternut squash for variety.

For another dish that’s perfect for a cold day, try our Fall Vegetable Coconut Curry.

Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Stew

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 4 people Total Cost $11.48 Cost per Serving $2.87

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Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs, boneless ($5.24)
• 1 medium cauliflower head ($3.00)
• 1 28-ounce can (or fresh tomatoes) (from our garden)
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives pitted and cut in half ($0.60)
• 1 large red onion thinly sliced ($0.55)
• 4 cloves garlic minced ($0.12)
• 1-2 ounces feta crumbled ($1.24)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.39)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more when roasting ($0.24)
• 1 tsp thyme, fresh (or 1/2 tsp dried) (from our garden)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon powder ($0.08)
• 1-2 tsp parsley, fresh chopped (from our garden)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 -2 cups water (or stock) ($0.00)

Instructions

1. Prepare all your ingredients. Preheat oven to 410 F
2. Add cauliflower to baking sheet and toss with drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper. Spread out in single layer. Roast until browned with a bite and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat large pan that has a cover over medium-high heat. Next add 1 Tbsp olive oil and brown chicken in batches 5 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside nearby. Pour off excess fat. Then add vinegar to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are slightly caramelized and soft. Add minced garlic and stir, cooking until garlic is fragrant. This is about the time your roasted cauliflower should be ready to remove from the oven.
6. Next add the tomatoes with their juices, cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Add the cooked chicken pieces plus any juices and the olives to the pot. You may have to add water (or stock if readily available) so that it just covers the chicken. Simmer until chicken is heated and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add roasted cauliflower to pan and stir to combine. Simmer for few more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. (Add less salt if you plan to add feta.) Remove from heat and sprinkle parsley on top.
8. When ready to serve, sprinkle feta on top. Serve with rice or grains. Enjoy!

Instructions with photos

1. Prepare all your ingredients. Preheat oven to 410 F

   
2. Add cauliflower to baking sheet and toss with drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper. Spread out in single layer. Roast until browned with a bite and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.

   
3. Meanwhile, heat large pan that has a cover over medium-high heat. Next add 1 Tbsp olive oil and brown chicken in batches 5 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside nearby. Pour off excess fat. Then add vinegar to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.

   
4. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

   
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are slightly caramelized and soft. Add minced garlic and stir, cooking until garlic is fragrant. This is about the time your roasted cauliflower should be ready to remove from the oven.

   
6. Next add the tomatoes with their juices, cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

   
7. Add the cooked chicken pieces plus any juices and the olives to the pot. You may have to add water (or stock if readily available) so that it just covers the chicken. Simmer until chicken is heated and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add roasted cauliflower to pan and stir to combine. Simmer for few more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. (Add less salt if you plan to add feta.) Remove from heat and sprinkle parsley on top.

   
8. When ready to serve, sprinkle feta on top. Serve with rice or grains. Enjoy!

   

Recipe Notes

* Note regarding pricing:  The herbs and tomatoes used in this recipe are from our garden which is why there is no price listed. The price for the pantry items such as olive oil, salt and pepper takes into account the cost of the amount used for the recipe and not the cost if you had to purchase the entire jar or bottle. ** All prices in US dollars.