Thank you US Dry Bean Council for sponsoring this post. Join me to celebrate World Pulses Day with U.S. Beans!
Vietnamese Chicken and Bean Stew, or gà nấu đậu is comfort in a bowl for me. My mom would make this all the time as an easy, warming meal that lasts all week. This is a Franco-Vietnamese tomato-based stew. It's so easily adaptable to what you have on hand. Don't like chicken? Use spare ribs! Need more veggies? Add some mushrooms! The possibilities are endless. Eat it with rice. Eat it with bread. Eat it by itself! The best part is: This stew only gets better the more you heat it up.
I partnered with the US Dry Bean Council to celebrate the second annual World Pulses Day and bring you this recipe. I'm thrilled because the beans are THE star of the show in this recipe. They thicken up the broth and make it so silky and robust.
What is World Pulses Day?
World Pulses Day celebrates the nutritional foods known as "pulses." The term "pulse" is a catch-all phrase for legumes like lentils, peas and our star, the bean. All pulses provide an excellent source of environmentally friendly protein. By celebrating World Pulses Day, you're bringing awareness to sustainable food production and the nutritional benefit of this superfood!
Why you should eat more beans!
Beans are having a renaissance moment right now. No longer are you stuck with a can of baked beans or beans on toast. Look at any food magazine or website and you'll see a ton of creative ways of using this superfood. As consumers grow more interested in diverse cuisine and plant-based eating, beans will only continue to rise, and for good reason!
Eating beans helps manage sugar levels, increase energy and can even help decrease your risk of certain cancers. Plus, they're not just good for you; they're also good for our planet! In my opinion, beans are a much more sustainable method of getting protein than through meat.
So dig into this big bowl of silky, rich, stick-to-your-ribs dish and add this Vietnamese chicken and bean stew to your rotation! I like to use great northern beans for this recipe because they're a little firmer and the delicate flavor stands up well to the bright tomato broth. You can also use cannellini beans or even peas if you want.
Vietnamese chicken and bean stew (gà nấu đậu): Step-by-step instructions:
Cut up a whole chicken into 2 inch pieces. Serious Eats has a great video on how to break down a whole chicken. I highly recommend using the whole chicken because the bones will add extra meatiness to the broth, but if you don't have a cleaver or you're intimidated by the thought of handing an entire animal, feel free to use thighs. I would not recommend using boneless skinless chicken breast. It will be dry.
Season the chicken pieces with fish sauce, shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper and set aside.
Chop your potatoes, carrots and drain three cans of great northern beans. After all of your vegetables are prepped, heat a heavy-bottomed pot and saute the chicken on high heat.
After the chicken has taken on some color, add the tomato paste and continue to cook until the tomato paste is fragrant and caramelized. Then add water and bring to a boil.
When the water has boiled, add carrots. When carrots have just started to tenderize, add the potatoes. After the potatoes have fully softened, add the drained beans and bring the heat down to a simmer until the beans have soaked up some of the broth's flavor.
Notes
Vietnamese chicken and bean stew/ gà nấu đậu can be served immediately, but tastes best when it is cooled and reheated. I love dipping a crusty baguette into the broth. It also tastes great spooned over a hot bowl of rice.
