Simple Stews and Soups
One-pot lunch/dinners are easy to make – nutritious and delicious, and most of the base ingredients are non-perishable items you can store in your pantry or freezer. Use these basic building tips to make a nourishing large pot, which will last for several enjoyable meals to come.
10 tips for creating flavourful stews and soups:
- Start with alliums. Sauté onions, shallots, green onions, and/or garlic in a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat to get your strew started. If you’re including meat, brown it along with the alliums.
- Add your broth: chicken or vegetable (preferably organic). If you have bones to toss in, add those too. Remember to remove the bones before serving your stew.
- Making chili or another tomato-based stew. Add cooked diced tomatoes (contain lycopene).
- Add a creamy texture to your stew by stirring in cooked butternut squash, or sweet potatoes.
- Fresh and dried herbs are delicious in stews, and spices like ginger, garlic, and turmeric are flavourful and beneficial to one’s health.
- Include some whole grains. Wild rice takes about 50 minutes and is a great option for stews – it won’t absorb so much of the broth the way brown rice can or add quinoa during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Quick-cooking legumes like lentils or beans need about 20 minutes to simmer,
- Root veggies are satisfying and nourishing. Peel and cube parsnips, carrots, celeriac, turnips, sweet potato, beets, or whatever root you like.
- Hearty greens like kale, spinach and collard greens are superfoods and great additions to stews as well as frozen veggies if desired. Chop them coarsely and add them during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.
- For last touches, stir in cooked protein of choice, like tempeh, cracked egg, seafood or chicken.
Let us know if you found these tips for flavourful stews and soups helpful… and be sure to share with your friends and family!