Great classic of local cuisine! Ancient recipe of the popular tradition originally made with non-precious meat. Poor cut meat needed hours and hours of cooking over low heat to soften. Today, as per tradition, the stew is cooked in the same way.
In this recipe we present the most classic version ever, the one with potatoes!
To prepare it stew with potatoes, with a knife with a smooth and wide blade, cut the meat into chunks of similar size, this small trick is important to obtain uniform cooking.
Let's flour the morsels of meat homogeneously, taking care not to leave out the sides.
Finely chop the carrots, celery and onion.
In a pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil with the aromatic herbs (thyme, bay leaf, sage and rosemary) and add the chopped vegetables. We also add the morsels of meat and brown them over high heat.
Add salt and add the red wine. Let's evaporate the alcohol and add the tomato.
We reduce the flame and cover with the lid. We continue cooking for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and, if the meat gets too dry, add water.
In the meantime we wash and peel the potatoes, cut them into uniform pieces and blanch them for 10 min.
After two hours of cooking the meat, transfer the blanched potatoes to the pan and cook for another 45 minutes or until the potatoes are well cooked. Season with salt and serve the stew when it is still hot!
It is advisable not to add too much salt during cooking. During this phase, the liquids will tend to evaporate and the meat may be too tasty.
About the author
Marina Cecconi
I'm Marina, I'm 37, I'm Friulana and I've been cooking since I was 12. I'm not a quoca by profession but cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. Turning the ladle relaxes me and distracts me from everyday tasks. I had the enormous fortune to see the women of the family cook, all excellent cooks from whom I learned lessons and stole tricks, ranging from traditional Friulian cuisine, mainly peasant, to Genoese and Neapolitan influences. I learned from grandmothers that nothing is thrown away, and therefore I will propose, as far as possible, also recipes for "recycling" and emptying the fridge.
My budget friendly and delicious Lentil Stew has a powerful punch of flavor and uses lentils in place of meat for a budget friendly mealtime solution.
Protein Rich Meal
For those of us who love dried legumes, lentils are the eighth wonder of the world. They are protein rich, inexpensive, hearty and filling, and extremely versatile when it comes to cooking.
But what sets them apart from other members of the legume family is the game changer for me – cooking time. Those who are used to cooking other dried legumes are used to overnight soaking, day long cooking times, and lots of waiting around.
Dried lentils are a true anomaly because they require no soaking and can be ready to eat in as little as 15 minutes.
No, that is not a type-o.
But before we get into the recipe for my Budget Friendly & Delicious Lentil Stew, I want to offer special thanks to Ignite Social Media for inviting me to participate in the #LentilsForTheSoul campaign, sponsored by Lentils.org. I really appreciate their support of Southern Plate and am grateful for this special opportunity to bring my love of lentils to you! Although I have been compensated for my work in this post, all opinions are my own. Now let me show you more of why I love lentils and then I’ll share this quick, delicious, and budget friendly stew that even my picky eater enjoyed with zeal.
Lentils Are Really Nutritious Y’all But Wait There’s More…
In addition to the nutritional benefits of lentils, they satisfy my Southern need for a “hot bowl of beans”. I like to put on a little chicken broth and cook me up a cup or so of them for a quick lunch. On cold days like today, they are one of my go to comfort foods.
Note: There are two primary types of lentils, whole green and split red. Either works fine in this recipe but I have to admit I’m partial to whole green. They will usually just be marked “lentils” in the grocery store and have a pale green color. Split Red lentils are usually marked as “split red”.
This meatless Budget Friendly & Delicious Lentil Stew recipe is what I used to win my family over – and cut my grocery budget in the process.
Ingredients for Lentil Stew Recipe
I like to use a few shortcuts in this stew to make it come together in a flash.
For lentil stew you’ll need
Whole green lentils,
Chicken broth,
A bag of frozen vegetable mix (your choice but I like the “soup mix” that has okra in it),
Tomato paste,
Small onion
Cayenne
Paprika
An envelope of Italian Dressing Mix for a burst of flavor
Rinse your lentils with water
Place them in a medium sized stockpot and add chicken broth. (Entire recipe along with measurements is at the bottom of this post, as always).
Place this over medium high heat
Bring to a boil until lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Add all other ingredients and bring just to a boil again.
Reduce heat and continue simmering, stirring from time to time, until veggies are tender and stew is thickened, about thirty minutes.
This lentil stew is delicious on it’s own but even better with a side of thick, toasted and buttered bread. I usually make a double batch and freeze individual servings for protein packed lunches later.
I hope you get to try out this recipe soon and if you aren’t already familiar with the convenience and flavor of lentils, make it a point to introduce yourself and your family!
Budget Friendly & Delicious Lentil Stew
Ingredients
1cupwhole green lentils
8cupschicken broth
6ouncestomato paste
12ouncebag vegetable soup mixtry to get the one with okra in it
small onionchopped
1/4teaspooncayenne pepper
1/2teaspoonpaprika
1ounceenvelope Italian dressing mix
Instructions
Rinse lentils with water and place in a medium sized stock pot. Add broth and bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about fifteen minutes.
Add all other ingredients. Return to a boil, reduce heat again, and simmer until thickened, stirring from time to time.
Lentils have so many more uses than this! Visit Lentils.org for more great recipes and information.
This crock pot beef stew has tender chunks of beef with rich hardy sauce and vegetables. It is one of the best beef stews you can make at home and will be a dinner or weekend favorite.
Jump to:
Introduction and My Rating
I love beef. I like pork and chicken, but I LOVE beef the most. Too much Iowa in me, I guess. Cool weather is coming, so it’s a very good time for an easy slow cooker beef stew.
I started with a Cooks Country recipe (subscription required), but I think it is unrecognizable now. It would feed a large army. I wanted only the small army size, please. Also, lots of fuss as usual from Cooks Illustrated has been removed along with some other adjustments.
I keep a little fuss at the beginning that I thought would enhance the taste with browning the meat and onion, but I used the time to cut the other veggies so really minimal extra time, just one dirty pan.
You could probably skip this extra work of browning and just dump the ingredients in, but I think the taste was great and worth the little extra work.
My Rating
An easy 5. We loved it with seconds all around.
🐖The Beef
I like to use a well-marbleized chuck roast for this recipe, but many other cuts of beef will work fine. When doing a double recipe where I need about 3-4 pounds of meat, I usually do the chuck roast. But for a single recipe needing only 1 1/2-2 pounds, I will cheat and use precut stew meat.
I do like to brown the trimmed meat before going into the crock pot. That will add some nice extra flavor, but you can skip that step if you want.
📋Ingredients
The thyme has been made optional, and in our house, it just is not done. My wife does not like it in this recipe, and I tend to agree. Cooks Country seems to love it, so the choice is yours.
I added the garlic. A personal taste at our home.
Any potatoes will do but if you use russet potatoes, peel first. The potatoes should be cut into 1-inch or slightly smaller size.
Feel free to use the vegetables you enjoy in your stew.
✔️Tips
Crock Pot Size
As written, this makes about 2 quarts of stew. That will nicely fit in a 3-quart crock pot since crock pots should not be filled over 75% full.
A double recipe, which is what we usually make, needs a 6-quart or bigger crock pot.
Time
On low, this takes 8 hours and on high 4-5 hours. Some beef may take a bit longer, so check the beef for tenderness and extend the time a bit if needed ( not commonly needed.)
It is fine in the crock pot on “keep warm” setting for an hour or a bit more if needed for your timing.
Thickening in A Crock Pot
Tapioca is used to thicken this recipe. I think that is an excellent choice since it can be added at the beginning of cooking. Another plus is reheating, where it is fine.
Cornstarch reheated liquids are gel-like and gross. Using a roux with flour is just fussier then it needs to be.
Storage
Leftovers are good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or in a freezer, 2-3 months and longer in a deep freezer.
📖Crock Pot Stew/Soup Recipes
Simple Crock Pot Chicken Stew
Easy Crock Pot French Onion Soup
Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup
Extra Thick Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup
Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
🖼️Instructions
Note: all images are for a double recipe. Instructions and ingredients are for a single recipe.
Start by trimming about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless chuck roast or use stew meat if you are lazy. Give it a light dusting of flour and place in hot oil over medium-high heat in the large nonstick pan—Brown for about 7-8 minutes. Move the meat to crock pot but keep any liquid in the pan.
While browning meat, peel 2 carrots and cut into 1/2 inch thick medallions. Scrub 1/2 pound of red potatoes and cut into chunks. Other potatoes could be used but if using russet potatoes, peel also.
Mince 1 large onion. Crush or mince 2 cloves of garlic. Add onion, 2 oz. tomato paste, and 1/4 tsp salt into the hot pan. Cook until onions are soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic for the last minute.
When the onion is ready, add 1 cup of beef broth to the pan and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add all ingredients except the peas in the crock pot, stir well. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add the frozen peas for the last hour of cooking.
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📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Beef Stew
From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
This crock pot beef stew has tender chunks of beef with rich hardy sauce and vegetables. It is one of the best beef stews you can make at home and will be a dinner or weekend favorite.
Prep Time 30mins
Cook Time 8hrs
Total Time 8hrs30mins
Servings #/Adjust if desired 5serving
Ingredients
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
Images are for a double batch.
This makes about 2 quarts as written and will fit a 3-quart crock pot. I recommend a double recipe and then use a 6 quart or bigger crock pot.
I prefer to cut and trim a chuck roast for this, but store stew beef will work fine.
If you’re in a hurry, skip the whole browning skillet steps. Just dump it in, and it will be great.
Check for beef tenderness before stopping cooking. Some beef may take a bit longer.
Leftovers are good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or 2-3 months in a freezer.
Nutrition is calculated on a serving size of about 1 1/2 cup.
Have More Questions?Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.
TO ADJUST THE RECIPE SIZE:You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Course :Main Course
Cuisine :American
Publisher Note: Originally published March 5, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation. Also, the technique has updated a small amount to current my practice.
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