Butter Bean Stew with Chicken Meatballs 🫘🐔

A warm, hearty dish with clean flavors—perfect for a cozy, mindful meal.

⭐ Ingredients For the Chicken Meatballs

300 g ground chicken
1 egg
6 tbsp breadcrumbs. I got to this amount because I want all mix texture firm and easy to shape.
1½ tbsp minced garlic
1½ tbsp minced coriander
1½ tbsp minced onion
½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp paprika & onion chicken seasoning
2 tsp Maggie seasoning.
A pinch of salt
A drizzle of olive oil

Growing up, my grandmother used to make chicken patties for me. She always marinated the chicken with what I call the Thai holy trinity: garlic, coriander root, and white pepper. These three ingredients are the foundation of so many Thai dishes, and to me, they’re the taste of comfort. I use the same trio she used. Keeping her hands in my kitchen after all these years.

For the Stew

2 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed. Michael suggested that I should save about ¼ cup of the bean juice for the stock and Michael was right.
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
1 medium onion, diced
Garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
½–1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ cup stock of butter bean juice
Olive oil for sautéing
Salt & black pepper
Fresh parsley for finishing
Parmesan (optional but lovely on top)

I used sun-dried tomato pesto because we had it and never got to use it. It turned out to have a deeper flavor than regular tomato paste. I used about one heaping tablespoon. If I add too much, the sauce can become salty and overly fatty.

The sauce feels like a mix between Italian and Spanish cooking. The color turns darker and slightly glossy, and the umami becomes beautifully intense in the best way.