Choose Your Own Adventure: Stew Edition
Who doesn’t love a good stew? Stews are so so simple to make once you get the basics down, you can jazz them up with extra ingredients and herbs or spices. A trick I learned from Tegan is to make a ‘base’ stew with vegetables and the protein of your choice and then add whatever you like to it throughout the week. This time-saving food hack means that you’ll have days of nutritious food prepared but won’t feel like you’re eating the exact same thing all week.
Why are stews so good for you?
Immune-boosting stews are packed with nutrients including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. The liquid base means they help to keep you hydrated and the broth is great for promoting gut health. They are a good option if you’re on a budget or have limited time because the ingredients are usually economical and they can be made in bulk and stored in the freezer to eat through the week- or month!
Making a delicious stew is easier than you might think! Here’s how to do it:
Step One: Choose Your Protein
If you’re settling for beef or chicken, brown the meat first alongside some roughly chopped onions for more flavour. Cheaper cuts of meat tend to be tougher so work well in a stew because the long cooking time makes the meat nice and tender.
Top Tip from Mum: Before you brown your meat, roll it in a bit of flour first. This will help to seal the meat and the flour helps thicken the stew while it’s cooking.
If you want a plant-based stew you can use any type of bean, either tinned or dry. I love to use chickpeas or white beans as they hold their form and have a nice texture. If you’re using dried beans, soak overnight in fresh water and rinse before adding them to the pot.
Step Two: Choose Your Veggies
The choices here are almost endless. Potatoes, sweet potato & carrots are stew staples, as are onions and celery. Capsicums, zucchini, or pumpkin can create depth of flavour. Really it’s up to you though. Choose ingredients that you know you love and will pair well with the protein you have chosen. For chicken, zucchini & capsicum works well. For beef you could try sweet potato and red capsicum or celery.
I love to make a white bean stew with sweet potato, zucchini, and onion.
Step Three: Choose Your Broth
Choosing a broth is pretty simple, just make sure you buy one that is low in sodium. I usually use a plain old vegetable stock-cube because they work well with just about anything, but you can experiment with different liquid broths and consommes, too.
Step Four: Choose Your Flavour
This is the really fun part. When you’re cooking you can add in garlic or ginger, and spices like cracked black pepper, turmeric, cumin, or paprika or fresh or dried chilli pepper if you’re feeling spicy.
Once your stew is ready to eat you can top it with fresh herbs like coriander or parsley, a dollop of sour cream, croutons or crispy onions. A popular addition here in Mexico is finely sliced cabbage, radish and a squeeze of lime juice- it’s great with heavier, tomato-based stews.
The Method:
The basic method is pretty much the same whether you’re making a plant based stew or one with meat.
First, chop up all your ingredients. Make sure you don’t cut them too small- you’ll want your stew to have some chunky texture.
Next, brown your onions & garlic, and meat if that’s what you’re cooking. If you’ve settled for beans add these in just as the onions start to soften.
Next, add in your vegetables and seasoning and give the pot a good stir.
Now it’s time to add the broth. If using a stock-cube I’ll add it to one cup of boiling water, and if I’m using a liquid broth I’ll add it straight to the stew.
Add the broth, cover the pot and bring to a slow boil. After 15-20 minutes give the stew a stir and add 1-1.5 cups of water (if required).
Now all you have to do is sit back and let it bubble. It should take around 40-60 minutes to be ready, but you can always nibble on a bean or test a carrot to see how it’s coming along. Add extra water if needed, and if it’s too liquid-y you can leave the pot uncovered to simmer on a low heat- this will let excess water evaporate.
If you’re new to stew making and want to test things out with a recipe, here’s a link to one of our favourites.