Herb-Roasted Chicken with White Bean Puree

This herb-roasted chicken over white bean puree is flavorful and elegant that you’d never guess it’s healthy, too. Mediterranean inspiration shows up with heart-healthy olive oil, herbs and spices like oregano and paprika, and zesty lemon. It’s high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and satisfying. With herbs and spices, it uses less sodium for flavor. 

Variations and Serving Suggestions

• Roast some vegetables with your chicken for an easy, high-fiber side dish. Brussels sprouts, onions, cauliflower, green beans, and broccoli are just a few options.
• Other vegetable options are sauteed greens or zucchini, steamed vegetables, and a green side salad.
• For a balanced meal, roast sweet potato or potato strips with your chicken, or serve the chicken, beans, and vegetables with a small portion of brown rice or whole-grain pasta.
• Garlic lovers can blend in 1-2 cloves of peeled garlic with the pureed beans.
• For extra flavor, blend 2-4 ounces of feta cheese into the bean mixture.
• Cannellini beans are creamiest, but chickpeas, pinto beans, and black beans can work, too
• Other flavor combos for the white beans are lemon and thyme, Dijon mustard and lemon zest, and smoked paprika with cumin.
• To save time make the white bean puree ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. 
• Use olive oil, low-sodium broth, or tahini to thin the bean puree if needed.

Recipe for Herb-Roasted Chicken with White Bean Puree

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 12 ounces
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Zest from 1 lemon (reserve the rest of the lemon for juice)

Bean Puree

• 1 (15 oz) can of cannellini or Great Northern beans
• 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2-4 tablespoons of low-sodium chicken broth or reserved juice from canned beans
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
2. In a shallow dish or bowl, blend the oregano, thyme, garlic powder if using, paprika, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Brush the chicken with olive oil and dip both sides in the spices to coat. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the center is no longer pink. 
3. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes and then slice. 
4. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. 
5. In a blender or food processor, blend the beans, garlic if using, lemon juice, broth, salt, pepper, and herbs until smooth (or leave some chunks if you prefer). For a thinner consistency, add broth or reserved bean liquid 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
6. To serve, add a large spoonful of bean puree to each plate. Top with chicken.

Nutrition information per serving: 260 calories; 11 grams of fat; 2 grams of saturated fat 70 mg of cholesterol; 350 mg of sodium;  13 grams of carbohydrates; 1 gram of sugar; 4 grams of fiber; 26 grams of protein

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