Chicken Stew

2T. olive oil
2 stalks celery
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1- 14 1/2 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I puree mine in the blender... Steve hates tomato chunks so this is why I do this. I've never made it with the chunks, I've only used the pureed tomatoes and it's sooo good this way, so I strongly suggest it, but it's up to you).
20 oz. low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (I get mine in the produce section at Walmart in a little plastic box/container).
1 1/2 T. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 chicken breasts with ribs (about 1 1/2 lbs. total)
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the pureed tomatoes (if you left them chunky then stir them in with their juices), chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts, press to submerge. Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 30 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through). Remove chicken breasts and place on a work surface to cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced to a stew consistency, about 10 minutes. Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into serving blows, and enjoy with crusty bread :)

~I found this recipe on-line from Giada de Laurentiis, and she also made this recipe on her cooking show. Here is the link to her recipe.