The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Tuscan-style Chicken & Cannellini Stew with Roasted Squash & Basil Pesto
A bowlful of comfort. You'll simmer juicy British chicken breasts in a ribollita-style tomato stew. Think fennel seeds, garlic and basil for Italian herb garden flavours. Creamy cannellini beans for even more fibre. And kale and butternut squash for colour. Finish with a dollop of pesto and dinner is served.
High protein
1/3 daily fibre
5 of 5 a day
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 80g Kale (whole leaf) (Kale (whole leaf))
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 10g vegetable stock powder (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 200ml tomato & herb sauce (tomato, cooked onion, water, tomato puree, carrots, caramelised onion, olive oil, basil, cornflour, garlic, date syrup, salt, garlic powder, acidity regulator: lactic acid.)
- 230g cannellini beans (cannellini beans, water, salt)
- 1 tbsp garlic, basil and parsley paste (garlic puree, basil, rapeseed oil, parsley, sea salt, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 300g diced British Free Range chicken breast
- 1 leek
- 1 small butternut squash
Nutritional Information
Calories: 637
Protein: 55g
Carbs: 56g
Fat: 23g
Ingredients
- 80g Kale (whole leaf) (use half) (Kale (whole leaf))
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (use half)
- 10g vegetable stock powder (use half) (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 150g diced British Free Range chicken breast
- 2 tbsp green pesto (use half) (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 200ml tomato & herb sauce (use half) (tomato, cooked onion, water, tomato puree, carrots, caramelised onion, olive oil, basil, cornflour, garlic, date syrup, salt, garlic powder, acidity regulator: lactic acid.)
- 1 tbsp garlic, basil and parsley paste (use half) (garlic puree, basil, rapeseed oil, parsley, sea salt, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 1 small butternut squash (use half)
- 1 leek (use half)
- 230g cannellini beans (use half) (cannellini beans, water, salt)
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 648
Protein: 55g
Carbs: 56g
Fat: 24g
Tuscan-style Chicken & Cannellini Stew with Roasted Squash & Basil Pesto
A bowlful of comfort. You'll simmer juicy British chicken breasts in a ribollita-style tomato stew. Think fennel seeds, garlic and basil for Italian herb garden flavours. Creamy cannellini beans for even more fibre. And kale and butternut squash for colour. Finish with a dollop of pesto and dinner is served.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Preheat the oven to 240C / fan 220C / gas mark 9
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Pull out a peeler, a sieve, a measuring jug & a large frying pan
Get the squash on
- Peel and halve the squash lengthways, discard the seeds, and cut into 2cm chunks
- Place onto the lined baking tray, drizzle with 1 tsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 mins, until soft and golden
Build the dish
- Meanwhile, trim and slice the leek into 1cm half-moons
- Heat the large frying pan with 2 tsp oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the leek and cook for 4-5 mins, until softening
- Add the chicken, fennel seeds, chilli flakes (or to taste) and garlic herb paste and cook for 4 mins more. Season with salt and pepper
Simmer the stew
- Drain and rinse the beans. Remove any woody stalks from the kale
- Add the beans, tomato herb sauce, stock powder and 200ml water (100ml water for 1 person) to the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 13 mins, until the chicken is cooked through
Finish & plate up
- When the squash has 5 mins remaining, add the kale to the tray. Toss with 1/2 tsp oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for the remaining time
- Stir the roasted squash and kale into the stew and simmer for another 1 min. Season to taste. Add a splash of water if it's a little thick
- Check your chicken is cooked through by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the meat; the juices should run clear
- Share the chicken stew between bowls. Drizzle with the pesto to finish
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