Braised Chicken Thighs with Linguiça and White Beans

This yummy one-pot dinner was inspired by this post on Seven Days — while I didn’t eat the actual dish from the review, I used it as a starting point for dinner last night. My parents were coming back from vacation, and since they were still on West Coast time, I had dinner ready just in case.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Linguiça and White Beans

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 link linguiça or chorizo, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander and chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup small white beans, **soaked overnight in salted water, then drained** — see this post for more info on cooking with dried beans
• 1/4 cup salsa or pasta sauce
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• handful of flat-leaf parsley, torn
• splash of lemon juice

1. Saute the linguiça in the olive oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the celery and carrots, and saute, stirring frequently, until onions are transparent.
4. Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, cinnamon and salt, and saute together for 2 minutes.
5. Add the salsa and the beans, and stir to coat the beans. 
6. Add the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Add the chicken thighs and bring the mixture back to a boil.
8. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cover. 
9. Cook for 90 minutes, covered, until beans are al-dente. Check the seasoning and add salt if necessary.
10. Take off the cover and bring the mixture up to a low boil. 
11. Cook for another 30 minutes, uncovered. 
12. Turn off the heat, throw in the parsley and lemon juice, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.