Emilee Unterkoefler
There’s nothing like slurping some hot stew during those frigid winter months. Here are 10 tummy-warming recipes that go beyond beef and potatoes.
Your mom’s traditional beef stew recipe is great, but there’s so much more you can do with this hearty staple. So, get out your largest pot and enjoy the savory aromas of one (or all) of these delicious recipes. It’s time to cook!
Slowly Simmered Chicken Stews
Thick, robust stews always start with a hearty protein component, whether that’s meat, seafood, fish, or even beans. Here are three of our favorite hot simmered stews made with chicken:
- Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Stew: Nothing beats a good Crock-Pot meal simmering all day and filling your home with its delicious aroma. This creamy stew is filled with chicken and hearty vegetables, like carrots and potatoes, which also provide a delightfully creamy texture. If you are a ranch lover, this one’s for you! The author uses ranch seasoning to spruce up the flavor and take it to another level.
Get the Recipe: The Cozy Cook
- Tuscan Chicken Stew: You’ll love this unique Italian chicken stew. Beans and potatoes combined with garlic, thyme, Roma tomatoes, and Italian seasoning bring each bite to life! Whether you slurp, chomp, or dunk garlic bread in this stew, you’ll savor its tremendous flavor.
Get the Recipe: South Your Mouth
- Rustic Chicken Stew: Another excellent Crock-Pot chicken stew, this one includes freezer meal instructions. You can enjoy it the day of, or dump it all in a large freezer bag to save for later.
Get the Recipe: Who Needs A Cape?
Pork, and Bacon, and Beer? Oh, My!
If you wanna get a bit more adventurous with your stew, try these two recipes:
- Slow Cooker Irish Stew: If you’ve never tasted Irish Stew, boy, are you missing out! The cubed pork shoulder and potatoes mixed with onion, garlic, and carrots make a filling meal. You’ll also love the addition of stout beer—it adds so much flavor and overall richness to the stew. Be sure to include a warm, crusty bread to soak up the leftover broth.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Gourmet
- White Bean and Pork Stew: Fry up some bacon, brown some pork steak cubes, and cook your veggies until they’re soft. After you deglaze your pan with a little white wine, add your broth and beans. This recipe will teach you how to add a thicker consistency with mashed beans, and you’ll enjoy the kick from the fresh jalapeño in each delicious spoonful.
Get the Recipe: The Bearded Hiker
Packed with Flavor: Fish and Seafood Stews
Whether you love shrimp, lobster, scallops, or any other fruits de Mer, we recommend every one of these recipes. All of these stews are bursting with flavor and can equip you with a new favorite wintertime meal:
- Shrimp and Sausage Stew: This exquisite gourmet recipe features the piquancy of spicy Italian sausage combined with sweet, fresh shrimp. The ingredients complement each other brilliantly.
Get the Recipe: Joe’s Healthy meals
- Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca Baiana): You’ll genuinely appreciate watching the steam rise as this hearty stew simmers on your stove. Not everyone enjoys fish, but after a few bites of this stew, they might fall in love with it! The sweet, natural taste of coconut, combined with tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic, all provide exceptional quality.
Get the Recipe: RecipeTinEats
- San Franciscan-Style Seafood Stew: Cioppino—the iconic name for San Franciscan seafood stew—is tomato-based. If you love seafood, this is the stew recipe for you! It’s filled with lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, and flakey white fish. This gourmet meal is an excellent way to prove how much you love someone.
Get the Recipe: The Hungry Blue Bird
Delicious Vegetarian Stews
An authentic stew is typically made of meat and vegetables, but there are vegetarian options out there. The beans in these recipes provide the essential protein and offer a hearty bite:
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Stew: Butternut squash is in season and tastes great right now! Add some little black beans, fresh herbs, and coconut milk, and you’ve got a thick and creamy vegetarian stew.
Get the Recipe: Healthier Steps
- Sweet potato and Black Bean Stew: This recipe is super-simple to throw together, and—according to the author—it’s also incredibly inexpensive to make. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and tastes delicious on top of a bed of rice.
Get the Recipe: Healthy Living James
