Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, patted dry
- 15 ml olive oil
- 4 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 2 g dried oregano
Vegetable Stew
- 2 red bell pepper, sliced into 2cm strips
- 2 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 2cm strips
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, whole
- 100 g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1 red onion, thickly sliced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 ml balsamic vinegar
- 3 g kosher salt
Garnish
- 10 g fresh basil, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 549 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1001 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 128 mg
- Potassium
- 1007 mg
- Calcium
- 85 mg
- Iron
- 3.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 84 mg
- Phosphorus
- 420 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 185 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 247 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.29 mg
- Niacin
- 21.3 mg
- Folate
- 72 mcg
- Water
- 318 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, slice the bell peppers, slice the red onion, and mince the garlic.
In a large roasting pan, combine the bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, kalamata olives, 30ml olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and 3g salt. Toss well to ensure vegetables are evenly coated.
Rub the chicken breasts with 15ml olive oil, then season thoroughly on all sides with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.
Nestle the seasoned chicken breasts directly on top of the vegetable mixture in the roasting pan.
Roast uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F and the tomatoes have burst.
Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest in the pan juices for 5 minutes before topping with torn fresh basil and serving.
Chef's Notes
- The juices from the resting chicken will naturally mingle with the balsamic vinegar and burst tomatoes to create a self-saucing, rich broth at the bottom of the pan.
- If your chicken breasts are exceptionally thick, consider butterflying them or pounding them to an even thickness to ensure they finish cooking at the same time as the vegetables.
- To build even more flavor, you can briefly sear the seasoned chicken breasts in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side before placing them on the vegetables to roast.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container; the vegetable stew flavors will deepen overnight.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Bell peppers may soften upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 15-20 minutes, or microwave in 1-minute intervals until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Chicken is dry and tough
Cause: Chicken was roasted past the safe internal temperature
Fix: Slice thinly and toss thoroughly with the pan juices and burst tomatoes to reintroduce moisture
Prevention: Pull chicken from the oven right at 74°C/165°F as carryover cooking will push it slightly higher
Vegetable stew is too watery
Cause: Tomatoes released excess moisture or pan was overcrowded
Fix: Remove the cooked chicken and return the pan of vegetables to the oven for 5-10 minutes to reduce juices
Prevention: Use a large enough roasting pan so vegetables sit in a mostly single layer
Cultural Context
This style of cooking draws heavily from rustic coastal Mediterranean traditions, where roasting proteins over a bed of moisture-rich summer vegetables is a common technique used to create a natural pan-sauce without needing a separate reduction. The sweet peppers, acidic tomatoes, and briny olives form a classic flavor trinity shared across Southern European cuisines.
