In our quest for the best of the best of such wholesome meals, we've brought together a collection of the finest stew recipes, from rich and savoury to soul-warming delights. Get ready to embrace the warmth, relish the aromas, and master the craft of unforgettable stews that will leave your taste buds singing.
Beef Bourguignon
Food 52
This excellent recipe for Beef Bourguignon may take three-and-a-half hours to rustle up, but we’d argue it is worth every moment for the deeply warming and ultra-satisfying results. You can make it ahead and delight guests with it without sweating over the stove once they have arrived, or you could simply make a surplus and eke it out over several days. Do note, the author argues for the use of good quality red wine of a standard you would be happy to drink. We file this one under ‘food that is good for the soul.’ Find the recipe here.
Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Olive Magazine
Olive magazine recommends making this recipe on a rainy day and we heartily concur. Recipe writer Nadine Brown says, ‘Despite Jamaica being known globally for jerk chicken and ackee and saltfish, oxtail stew is the dish I remember being made most often in my family. The Caribbean might be a place known for its sunny climes, but somehow they have the edge when it comes to deeply comforting stews. My best memories are of being sat with my family alongside a steaming pot of oxtail stew ready to be devoured, with its rich brown gravy fragrant with ginger, allspice, bay leaves and thyme, creamy butter beans and oxtail. You’ve not really experienced a good oxtail stew if you haven’t dived in with your hands, ready to slurp all the meat off the bones.’ Hear hear. Find the recipe here.
Vegan French Onion Stew
Delish
Who said that warming stews had to be carnivorous affairs? This absolute showstopper is just the kind of comfort food we want to eat when the mercury dips or we feel sub-par in any way. Warming and filling, the toasted slices of (vegan) cheesy baguettes on top really make it. With lentils, red and white onions, garlic and fresh thyme, it’s super good for you too. Find the recipe here.
Kale And Sausage Stew
Jamie Oliver
If there is a vegetable that, above all others, feels like it is doing us good (while, in all likelihood, also making us unattractively smug), it is kale. Dark leafy greens are much-vaunted for their health-giving properties and, cooked well, kale and cavolo nero are the best of them all in our books. Jamie’s stew features this most nourishing of veg alongside hearty sausages, bay leaves, lemon, chopped tomatoes and heat-giving chillies among other good things. A wholesome joy that the whole family will devour (do leave out the chilli if you’re cooking for little ones). Find the recipe here.
Cholent
BBC Good Food
This classic Jewish stew is one for those with slow cookers. If you are in possession of one and you have time to make ahead, then this is the stuff of pure comfort. Comprising beef brisket, butter beans, chickpeas, pearl barley and root veg, after ten to 12 hours, it will be a beautifully tender hug in a bowl. Find the recipe here.
Cod And Tomato Stew
Olive Magazine
Cod and chorizo are made for each other in flavour terms, as proved by this winner of a dish, which marries smokiness with the sweetness of tomato. A perfect meal midweek meal that’s ready in 40 minutes and guaranteed to lift the spirits. Find the recipe here.
Quick Chickpea Lemon Stew
Anna Jones
If you want the comfort of a stew but prefer yours with a fresh twist, this vegan one-pot is hard to beat. Balancing the sweetness of the coconut milk with enlivening mint and basil as well as zingy lemon, it also has a good kick from the chilli. Endlessly moreish and pleasingly good for you, serve it with a hunk of crusty bread if you’re hungry. Find the recipe here.
Creamy Chicken Stew
BBC Good Food
Soft and creamy, this one-pot wonder makes a perfect meal, delivering warmth, comfort and joy in a bite. With leeks, crème fraiche, frozen peas and breadcrumbs, it’s lovely on its own or served with smashed jacket potatoes. Find the recipe here.
Squid Stew
Olive Magazine
This exceedingly tasty and vividly coloured recipe comes courtesy of the owners of Prawn On The Lawn. Tender squid, a chilli kick, a little sugar to sweeten, passata and butter beans: is there a recipe in existence that manages to be so hearty yet so redolent of the just gone hazy days of summer? Sheer joy. Find the recipe here.
By Nancy Alsop
October 2023
