Aromatic Chicken and Chickpea Stew

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces (excess fat trimmed)

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or more as needed

One 14.5- ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices

One 8-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce

One 15-ounce can low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup water

3 packed cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

Season the chicken all over with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, wide-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook for about 4 minutes total, stirring once or twice until it has browned, then transfer it to a plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until it has softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, crushed red pepper flakes and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.

Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce, chickpeas and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken with any accumulated juices to the pot; cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Stir in the spinach and cook until it is wilted, 1 minute more. Taste, and add more crushed red pepper flakes, as needed.

Serve hot.

Serves 4 (makes 4 cups)

Nutrition per serving: 390 calories, 30 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 18 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 530 mg sodium, 9 g dietary fiber, 10 g sugar

Ellie Krieger