Winter Stew Recipes

Stews are the perfect flavor-rich dishes for when the weather turns chilly. This week, we're sharing five fiber-rich stews to use up your vegetables, beans, and even those whole grains at the back of the pantry.

Want to receive more meal ideas like this in your email inbox? Sign up for the free Full Plate Living Membership now.

Vegetable Beef Stew

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve your beef stew with a collard greens slaw for a savory 75% meal. Don’t eat beef? Try meatless “beef tips” instead, or add a can or two of kidney beans.

75% water-fiber foods – onion, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas, barley, fresh thyme, collards, onions, carrots, apple, kidney beans
25% foods – beef/meatless beef, flour

Moroccan Butternut Squash, Lentil, Chickpea Stew

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve your stew with whole grain naan bread as your 25% ingredient for a cozy 75% dinner.

75%water-fiber foods – butternut squash, lentils, chickpeas, onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, cilantro, basil
25% foods – whole grain naan

Recipe Note: Opt for olive oil since coconut oil is high in saturated fat.

Slow Cooker Turkey and Bean Chili

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve your chili over brown rice for a filling meal. Add diced avocado on top instead of cheese, since the meat is your 25% choice. If you do not eat meat, omit it or substitute with a meatless ground. A fresh apple would be a great treat to end the meal.

75% water-fiber foods – onions, celery, green pepper, corn, kidney beans, navy beans, garlic, diced tomatoes, avocado, brown rice, apple
25% foods – turkey/chicken/veggie meat, cheese

Slow Cooker Split Pea Barley Stew

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Since this recipe is 100% fiber-rich, you can pick your own 25% zone item. You can also round off your meal with a sweet treat like pear slices.

75% water-fiber foods –green split peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, pear
25% foods – your choice

Tuscan Bean and Barley Stew

We convert the measurements for this recipe in the notes below.

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve your Tuscan stew with a tossed salad and one garlic breadstick for an authentic Italian meal at home.

75% water-fiber foods – garlic, carrots, celery, leeks, tomato puree, barley, beans, greens, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, tomato, red onion, cucumber
25% foods – breadstick, dressing

Recipe Note: Pinto beans are in the same family as borlotti beans, and pinto beans are readily found in the US. You'll need one 14-oz can and 1 cup chopped greens and 4 cups of vegetable broth when converting amounts from the Imperial System.

👉 Water-fiber foods are 75% zone foods – whole, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, beans and cooked whole grains.