Lemony Greek Chicken, Spinach and Potato Stew

This one-pot stew borrows the lemon, garlic and herbs of Greek home cooking, and ground chicken keeps it quick. Mature spinach from the market works best here.

Serves 4 to 5 · 35 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 8 large garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
• 1½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (from 1 large sprig), or 1½ teaspoons dried
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• Black pepper
• 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 medium), scrubbed and cut into ½-inch chunks
• 6 cups chicken broth
• Juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup), divided
• 1 bunch mature spinach (about 8 ounces), stems included, chopped, or 1½ cups frozen leaf spinach
• ¼ to ⅓ cup lightly packed chopped dill
• Crumbled feta and crushed pita chips, for topping

Instructions

1. Warm the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down a notch if it starts to scorch.
2. Lower the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken, rosemary, oregano, red-pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into crumbles, about 2 minutes, until it's mostly turned from pink to white.
3. Stir in the potatoes, then the broth and half the lemon juice, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
4. Bring to a rolling boil, then lower to a brisk simmer and cook about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender.
5. Add the spinach and as much dill as you like. Keep simmering about 5 minutes more, until the potatoes are fully tender.
6. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with feta and crushed pita chips.

Tips

• Ground turkey or pork can replace the chicken. If you don't care for dill, use a few tablespoons of parsley or mint.
• Russets work in place of Yukon Golds, though the stew won't be as creamy.

Adapted from Sarah DiGregorio, NYT Cooking.