Italian Chicken Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried cannellini beans
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bulb fennel, white part thinly sliced, 2 tbsp fronds reserved and coarsely chopped
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
None None Crusty bread, to serve

Preparation

Cover beans with cold water in a medium bowl. Let stand overnight. Drain; rinse under cold water, then drain again. Place beans in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 30 mins, or until beans are almost tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, combine chicken and oregano in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a large saucepan on high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, until browned all over. Remove from pan.
Add fennel, onions and garlic in same pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring, for 5 mins, or until just softened. Return chicken to pan with tomatoes, zucchini and beans. Cook, covered, on low heat, for 15 mins, or until chicken is cooked through. Uncover; simmer for 5 mins.
Remove stew from heat. Stir in basil and reserved fennel fronds. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.