The best stew recipes
From sausages to squash, these hearty stew recipes are guaranteed to leave you feeling nourished and satisfied.
Ask anyone how they define a stew, and the answer is likely to be different. Whatever you consider a stew to be, we think it should always be incredibly delicious (duh) and with a good mix of chunky vegetables (and meat if you're not veggie) and something you can easily serve in a bowl - to cosy up on the couch with.
Below we've compiled our favourite stew recipes to dig into while the weather is turning colder (and greyer - ugh), including team favourites like our fish stew, cannellini bean & meatball stew and the classic Irish stew. Read on for plenty of cooking inspiration.
Tomato, Butter Bean & Kimchi Stew
Decadent with gut-boosting ingredients, this creamy stew is the perfect midweek dinner.
Cannellini Bean & Meatball Stew
This hearty meatball and bean stew is ready in 45 mins and makes the perfect dinner for midweek cooking! Just add crusty bread.
Recipe: Cannellini Bean & Meatball Stew
Greek Lamb Stew
Traditional Greek cooking uses cinnamon in their recipes, which might seem odd but it really enhances all the other ingredients in a dish. This Greek lamb stew is hearty, flavoursome and great with bulghur wheat or couscous.
Recipe: Greek Lamb Stew
Fish Stew
This ones for the fish lovers! We've used a mix fish pack for ease, but use whichever fish you like best.
Recipe: Fish Stew
Scotch Broth
Scotch broth is a chunky stew hailing from Scotland and typically features barley, lamb and lots of veg. It's the ultimate comfort food.
Recipe: Scotch Broth
Irish Stew
It wouldn't be a stew gallery with an Irish stew. This classic dish is an unctuous mix of pearl barley, veggies and tender lamb pieces.
Recipe: Irish Stew
Slow Cooker Ham & Red Lentil Stew
This stew is one of those dishes you can chuck on in the morning and come home to the most comforting dinner in the evening. It's great for using up leftover Christmas ham, too.
Harissa Chicken Stew with Flatbreads
This bright chicken stew is bursting with warming harissa and hearty ingredients like chicken, apricots and chickpeas.
Pesto Chicken Stew
This creamy chicken stew is packed full of flavour, using shop-bought pesto to add an easy flavour boost.
Recipe: Pesto Chicken Stew
Speedy Sausage Stew
Needing only 5 min of prep time (yes really!) this speedy sausage stew uses bangers of choice, pre-cooked lentils and plenty of veggies, too.
Recipe: Speedy Sausage Stew
Smokey Bonfire Chorizo Stew
Warm up with this smokey chorizo, pepper and potato stew. It's made in the slow cooker so you can get on with more important things!
Recipe: Slow Cooker Smokey Bonfire Stew
Hearty Beef Stew with Dumplings
This stew is perfect for those lazy Sunday's when you're pottering around the house and want something nourishing to warm you.
Recipe: Hearty Beef Stew with Dumplings
Lamb Orzo Stew
Orzo makes a wonderful addition to a hearty stew and this one is filled with meaty lamb, black olives and plenty of herbs for a family favourite.
Recipe: Lamb Orzo Stew
Pearl Barley & Bean Stew
Pearl barley adds the most wonderful texture to this stew and keeps the costs down. Plus, it's packed with loads of heart veg.
Recipe: Pearl Barley & Bean Stew
Tomato and Butter Bean Stew
Rich tomatoes coat this hearty butter bean stew to perfection. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Recipe: Tomato and Butter Bean Stew
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Stew
This is the perfect way to show off season pumpkins and is full of rich spices and chilli for a nourishing taste.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Stew
West African Chicken Stew
This spicy stew is rich and creamy and best served with rice. If you're not great with heat, use half a Scotch bonnet in this dish
Recipe: West African Chicken Stew
Spicy Aubergine Stew
This fragrant and colourful stew is packed with meaty aubergines, juicy tomatoes and spicy harissa paste for a delicious supper idea.
Recipe: Spicy Aubergine Stew
Spanish Chicken Stew
Rich and smokey, this Spanish-inspired chicken stew radiates sunshine on a plate!
Recipe: Spanish Chicken Stew
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”!).
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