Healthy Stew Recipes

Fire-roasted tomatoes add slightly smoky flavor to red lentils. The addition of mashed potatoes gives this an upside-down shepherd's pie feel.

This healthy chicken stew is full of warming, spicy flavor thanks to ras el hanout, an aromatic Moroccan spice blend. You can find it in well-stocked grocery stores--or substitute 1/2 tsp. each ground cumin and ginger and 1/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon, coriander and allspice.

Goulash is one of the national dishes of Hungary and therefore, many variations of Hungarian Goulash exist. It can be prepared with beef, veal, pork or lamb and is seasoned with paprika and other spices. We chose pork for our version and rest assured, our recipe is bursting with flavor.

This hearty beer-spiked beef stew is served with creamy mashed potatoes for a shepherd's pie vibe.

Turnips lend an earthy flavor and a texture that is similar to potatoes--but with fewer carbs--to this rich and flavorful beef stew.

This simple vegetarian stew makes a hearty and inexpensive main course. It showcases fresh pigeon peas (gandules verdes), which are a staple in Puerto Rico. The small, round legume is similar in size to an English pea. Serve this with rice, tostones (fried plantains) or viandas (steamed or boiled root vegetables). Read more about this recipe.

This twist on the Latin American staple is made healthier with lean ground turkey and crisp apples. It doubles well. Try tucking it into whole-wheat tortillas or serve over instant brown rice for a quick and healthy supper.

For this light, brothy stew, use the vegetables of late spring and early summer from your CSA share: leeks, potatoes, garlic and spinach. Vary what's in the stew according to the weekly bounty. Serve with: Crusty whole-wheat baguette spread with goat cheese.

The slow cooker makes this veggie-packed beef stew super-easy and extra-savory.

Let your slow cooker work--while you're at work!--and come home to a delicious bowl of hearty stew for dinner. Full of potatoes, hominy, green chiles, and chunks of pork sirloin, this filling stew recipe takes just 25 minutes to prepare in the morning.

You won't miss the meat in this healthy jambalaya recipe. Vegan smoked sausage takes its place while the classic "trinity" of vegetables--onion, red bell pepper and celery--get a kick from jalapeño peppers. And everything is cooked in one skillet, which means cleanup is a breeze!

Sweet sautéed onions and a rich mixture of spices create a complex, flavorful base for this extraordinary vegetarian stew.

This hearty and healthy turkey stew recipe is just about the best use of Thanksgiving leftovers we can think of. And we don't just mean the turkey. The stew is packed with leftover roasted vegetables--use whatever vegetables you have on hand, such as Brussels sprouts, parsnips, sweet potatoes and green beans. And leftover gravy is used to add depth of flavor and body. Possibly the best part of this stew recipe? It comes together really quickly--because don't we all need a 20-minute dinner after the craziness of Thanksgiving? Add some leftover bread or rolls and dinner is done. This recipe is equally delicious with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, and we've included instructions for making a quick gravy in case you don't have leftovers, so you can serve this Thanksgiving-in-a-pot year-round.

This flavorful vegan dinner is a veggie version of the Louisiana classic. It's chock-full of butternut squash, tomatoes, poblano peppers and okra, to name just a few. This vegetarian gumbo is a quick dinner packed with flavor and spice that's done in only 30 minutes. To make it a meal, serve it with cornbread drizzled with olive oil.

Perfect on cold winter nights, this hearty chicken stew will warm you right up. Serve it with some homemade biscuits for a filling meal.

Chicken thighs can take plenty of cooking without getting tough or drying out, which makes them perfect for the slow cooker. Here we braise them in Guinness stout along with hearty vegetables, with just the right amount of bacon for added savoriness.

This hearty coconut curry is warm and comforting, thanks to tender sweet potatoes and a hint of spice. This easy curry recipe can be on the table in less than an hour.

Eggplant, cauliflower, chickpeas and tomatoes are the basis for this rich Indian-spiced curry. Make it a meal: Serve with brown basmati rice or whole-wheat couscous.

A splash of vinegar is a long-standing chef's trick for soups. Added just before you serve the soup, vinegar brightens the taste considerably. Use your favorite style of chicken sausage to add variety to this dish.

Mexican pork posole is the perfect dish to serve to a crowd. It's hearty, comforting and full of well-loved ingredients. Mashing some of the beans and hominy thickens the slow-cooker posole and releases more of their earthy flavor. For a twist, substitute thinly sliced jalapeño chiles, finely shredded green cabbage and fresh thyme or cilantro leaves for the radishes, scallions, and oregano.

Short on time? Consider this slow-cooked chicken stew recipe. Spend just 20 minutes prepping in the morning and you'll come home to a hearty dish. Serve it over basmati rice or with a slice of crusty bread.

Topped with Asiago cheese, this bean ragout dinner for two is perfect for a cool fall night.

This recipe was inspired by a hearty lamb and chickpea soup from Turkey. Finishing it with a dollop of pistachio-mint pesto adds another layer of flavor.

You will find versions of this hearty fish stew all along Italy's Adriatic coast. In Abruzzo, the stew is spiked with hot pepper and served with grilled or toasted bread to sop up the sauce. Be sure to find the freshest fish possible and serve with your favorite Italian wine.