Many people enjoy having a bowl of soup or stew during winter to keep themselves warm. The concoction also serves as a healthy meal choice when someone is under the weather or simply as comfort food over the weekend. While one could source pre-packed options from supermarket shelves, there’s nothing like customizing a recipe at home. One could explore a range of healthy soup and stew recipes that do not require much time and effort to prepare.

Stew recipes
First, let us look at three simple stew recipes that you can enjoy:

Slow-cooker beef stew
This recipe may take a few hours, but it is worth the wait. To begin, take a slow cooker and layer potatoes, carrots, onion, and celery. Keep the cooker aside and, in a large skillet, coat beef pieces with flour and roast till brown. Once brown, place the meat over the veggies in the cooker. In another bowl, combine tomatoes, broth, mustard, salt, pepper, thyme, and, if desired, browning sauce. Pour the mix over the beef. Cover and cook everything on low heat for around seven hours, or until the meat and veggies become tender. Sprinkle some fresh thyme before serving.

Lamb stew with vegetables
Consider this recipe if you prefer lamb over beef. Cut the lamb into cubes and toss it in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. In a large enamel cast-iron casserole, cook the lamb for about six minutes over moderately high heat. Then lower the heat, add some vinegar and broth, and turn the heat back to high. Add salt and pepper for taste and cook with the lid on until the meat is almost soft. Drop in vegetables like carrots, potatoes, turnips, fennel, and shallots. Cover and cook until the chopped veggies are soft. Finally, stir in parsley and fennel fronds before serving.

Chicken stew
Chicken is a protein-rich meat option, making this a nutritious option on our soup and stew recipe list. Melt some butter in a large pot, add carrots and celery, and cook for around five minutes till the veggies are soft. Then add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add shredded pre-cooked chicken, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and broth and cook for about 15 minutes till the potatoes are done. Garnish with parsley and serve. You can use raw chicken breasts for this recipe, but once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot, shred it, and then put it back.

Soup recipes
The following soup recipes use either pre-cooked or chicken:

Chicken noodle soup
Heat some olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and sauté for three to four minutes. Once the vegetables turn soft and the onion transparent, toss in garlic and thyme and cook for a minute, occasionally stirring, until aromatic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add chicken stock to the pot and let it come to a boil before dropping egg noodles. Lower the heat, partially cover the pot, and cook for about five minutes or till the noodles are done. Add pre-cooked chicken and spinach and boil for two to three minutes. Check your seasoning and add more if required.

Spicy Thai coconut chicken soup
In a large saucepan, heat some oil and add mushrooms, ginger, onion, and garlic. Cook for six minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Then add broth, coconut milk, shrimp paste, chili-garlic sauce, and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes after it comes to a boil. Add pre-cooked chicken and simmer for five more minutes or until heated through. Finally, add the juice of one lime and its zest. You can also squeeze lime over each serving and sprinkle it with chopped cilantro.

Cuban-style chicken noodle soup
For this recipe, you can use raw chicken. Heat oil in a big pot over medium heat and add onions, carrots, ginger, bay leaves, salt, and saffron. Cook for around three to four minutes or till the onion becomes transparent. Then drop in chicken, a potato, and squash along with some water and tomato sauce. Bring it to a boil, cover the utensil, and simmer on low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes. Take the chicken out of the stew and, when cooled, remove the skin and bones, shred it, and put the shredded pieces back into the pot with some noodles. Simmer for around six to eight minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Finally, remove the bay leaves, add some lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Some of these soup and stew recipes are quick and easy, so you can rustle them up even on a workday. So try them as soon as possible.