Dinner Soups and Stews with Lentils, Beans, Chicken or Beef
A good pot of soup or stew starts in different ways. You might rinse lentils, blend some beans, brown meat or get vegetables ready for a longer simmer. These bowls give you a few choices, with the preparation and texture of each one worth a look before you decide.
5 recipes · Family meals
Illustrative serving idea.
A few ideas for the week.
Choose a soup or stew by its main ingredient and cooking method rather than treating every bowl as interchangeable.
Choose portions and review ingredients before confirming anything in your pantry.
Lentils, tomatoes and vegetables simmer in vegetable broth, adding a legume-based choice to the set.
The little job to plan for: Take a look at the chopping, slicing or shaving step before bringing the parts together. Use the preparation described there so the food goes into the next stage in the form the recipe expects.
How it begins: Rinse lentils.
At the finish: Simmer 30–40 minutes until lentils are tender, adding water if necessary.
Check the list for: Lentils, Vegetable broth, Carrots, Celery.
Chicken thighs, potatoes and vegetables cook in a flour-thickened combination of broths.
The little job to plan for: Look through the first cooking step and have its ingredients ready before you begin. It is easier to give the pan your attention when you are not still looking for the next item.
How it begins: Cut chicken and potatoes into bite-size pieces.
At the finish: Add potatoes and simmer 25–35 minutes until tender and chicken reaches 165°F, stirring and adding water if needed.
Check the list for: Onion, Celery, Carrots, Chicken thighs.
Beef, potatoes and carrots give a longer-simmered stew option with a separately mixed thickener.
The little job to plan for: The method calls for working in batches. Read that part before filling the pan, and give each batch the same cooking and doneness checks rather than crowding everything in at once.
How it begins: Combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
At the finish: Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Check the list for: Beef stew meat, Onion, Beef broth, Red wine.
Some of the canned beans are blended before simmering, changing the texture without adding a meat ingredient.
The little job to plan for: Keep this part of the cooking within reach rather than leaving the pan. The method asks for regular stirring, so get the next ingredients ready before that step begins.
How it begins: Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
At the finish: Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
Check the list for: Onion, Jalapeño, Black beans, Fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
Split peas, ham hock and potatoes give a different legume and a different cooking sequence from the other soups.
The little job to plan for: Read the shredding step before you start serving. Have a suitable bowl and utensils ready, then keep the cooking, shredding and sauce steps in their written order.
How it begins: Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
At the finish: Enjoy with crackers, homemade croutons, or crusty bread!
Check the list for: Onion, Celery, Carrots, Green split peas.
The black bean soup blends some of its beans, while lentil soup and the meat stews follow their own methods. Read the thickening or blending step for the bowl you choose.
Give the simmer its place
Check the full sequence before starting. A longer-simmered beef stew asks for a different evening from a recipe that begins with canned beans.
Check the broth on the list
Vegetable, chicken and other broths stay as the ingredients each recipe calls for. Pick the meal first, then check the cupboard.
Before the shop
Check what is already in the kitchen
Cooking times depend on the recipe and ingredient tenderness. Bread and other accompaniments are separate unless included in the ingredient list. No freezing or storage duration is inferred from the soup format.
A couple of useful questions
How do I choose one for tonight?
Start with the ingredients and cooking job you want. The notes beside each recipe show the preparation to plan for; open that recipe for the complete method before getting started.
What should I check before shopping?
Choose the dinners you want to make, then compare their full ingredient lists with what is already in the kitchen. Keep different prepared products, sauces and ingredient forms separate when checking the amounts.
Make it your kind of week.
Review dates, portions and what is already in the pantry before saving your meals or grocery additions.
Dinner Soups and Stews with Lentils, Beans, Chicken or Beef | Family Pantry
