Tomato-Braised Chicken & Yellow String Beans

4–6 servings · Prep 20 min · Total 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

• 1 kg שניצל (thin chicken breast cutlets)
• 800 g yellow string beans, trimmed and cut into 4–5 cm pieces
• 2 large onions, diced
• 6–8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 g crushed tomatoes or passata
• 3 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• Optional: ½ tsp sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic

Steps

1. Lightly salt the chicken and brown it in batches, ~1 minute per side.In the olive oil, in a large deep pan or wide pot over medium-high heat. The cutlets are thin; they do not need to cook through.
2. Set the chicken aside; once cool, cut into 2–3 cm pieces.Keep any juices that collect on the plate.
3. Soften the onions in the same pan over medium heat, 6–8 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add the beans and 1 cup water; cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes.Medium-low heat. This starts softening the beans before the acidic tomatoes go in.
6. Push the beans aside and fry the tomato paste for 1–2 minutes, until slightly darkened.Against the bottom of the pan, stirring.
7. Add the crushed tomatoes, about ⅔ of the spices, and ~½ tsp salt; stir, and add water as needed.Everything should be surrounded by plenty of sauce.
8. Cover and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, until the beans crush easily with a fork.Stir occasionally.
9. From ~20 minutes in, taste and gradually add the remaining spices and salt.
10. Return the chicken and its juices for the last 10–15 minutes.Breast dries out over a long braise, so it goes in near the end.
11. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes.

Notes

• The beans should cook for roughly 50–60 minutes total, producing a very soft, tender texture while absorbing the chicken, onion, tomato, and spices.