This Greek lamb stew is pure comfort in a bowl - tender chunks of lamb, meltingly soft aubergines and a rich tomato and red pepper base, all gently simmered with warming spices and finished with zingy feta.
It’s the kind of dish that feels just right whether it’s a chilly winter evening or a breezy summer night. The ingredients are simple but full of character, and the slow-cooked flavours only get better with time (pro tip: it freezes well, so stash some away for later, or make a double batch so you've got a full meal to pull out for guests at a moment's notice).
We like to serve it with nutty bulgur wheat, but some crusty bread to mop up the sauce would also make a great option. Either way you’ve got a year-round favourite that’s as soothing as it is satisfying.
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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 45 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 15 mins
Cal/Serv:
427
Ingredients
1Tbsp.
olive oil
250g
diced lamb leg
1
onion, finely chopped
1
aubergine, cut into 2cm pieces
2
red peppers, deseeded and sliced
3
garlic cloves, crushed
400g
tin chopped tomatoes
1Tbsp.
tomato purée
300ml
chicken stock
50g
pitted black olives
2tsp.
dried oregano
1
cinnamon stick
2
bay leaves
2
courgettes, halved lengthways and cut into 5mm thick slices
200g
bulgur wheat
50g
feta, crumbled
Small handful dill, chopped
Directions
Step 1Heat the oil in a large pan or casserole (that has a lid) over medium-high heat and brown the lamb pieces all over. Transfer to a bowl. Add onion to pan/casserole, lower heat and cook gently for 5-10min until softened. Add the aubergine and peppers and cook for a further 5min until starting to brown.
Step 2Stir in the garlic, fry for 1min, then return lamb to the pan with the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, stock, olives, oregano, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and some seasoning. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 45min.
Step 3Uncover, stir in courgettes, then re-cover and simmer for a further 30min. Remove the lid and simmer for 15min more, until lamb is tender and sauce has thickened.
Step 4During the final 15min of cooking, bring the bulgur wheat and 400ml water to the boil in a medium pan and cook over low heat for 10-12min, until water has been absorbed and the bulgur wheat is tender.
Step 5Check seasoning of stew, scatter over feta and dill and serve with bulgur wheat.
Freeze ahead:
Prepare to end of step 3. Cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost in fridge, reheat in a pan until piping hot and complete recipe.
What can I use instead of chicken stock?
Vegetable stock would be the next best option, and just water will do in a pinch - there's plenty of other flavours in the stew.
I don't like black olives, can I leave them out?
The olives add a lovely salty, bitter zing to balance the dish, but you could use milder green olives if you like, or if you prefer to leave them out altogether you could throw in a handful of tangy capers instead.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
