cheap stews

A simple, vegetarian, spiced bean stew makes a quick and filling midweek dinner.

With a GI of 52 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a> and provides 492 kcal per portion.

Mexican bean stew

low-calorie cooking spray

onion, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, crushed

yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 3cm/1in chunks

½ tsp hot chilli powder

tsp cumin

tsp coriander

tin chopped tomatoes

tomato purée

tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed

grams/4½oz wholegrain long-grain rice, to serve

lime,

salt and black pepper

tomato, roughly chopped

tbsp freshly coriander

spring onions, thinly sliced

Spice up your stew with chorizo and stir in some cannellini beans for a super dinner on a budget. 

Each serving provides 517 kcal, 30g protein, 45g carbohydrates (of which 13g sugars), 21g fat (of which 7g saturates), 17g fibre and 2g salt.


Simple chorizo and bean stew

rapeseed oil

chorizo,

onion, finely chopped

garlic clove, crushed

cannellini beans

parsley,

This slow-cooker vegetarian stew with fluffy dumplings is a cheap and easy recipe. To make it vegan, use vegetable suet in the dumplings instead of butter and omit the pesto. This dish is perfect for batch cooking, just divide it up into indiviudal portions and you will always have warming stew at your fingertips, check the tips section for freezing instructions. 

Equipment and preparation: For this recipe you will need a 6.5 litre/11½ pint slow cooker. 

This meal provides 629 kcal, 13g protein, 79g carbohydrate (of which 24g sugars), 29g fat (of which 11g saturates), 16g fibre and 1.8g salt per portion.

Slow cooker vegetarian hotpot 

sunflower oil

butternut squash

onions, thinly sliced

carrots,

parsnips,

tbsp plain flour

½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

pesto (optional)

350 milliliters/12fl oz hot vegetable stock (made with 1 stock cube)

grams/3½oz spinach leaves (optional)

flour

75 grams/2¾oz frozen butter (or 75 grams/2¾oz shredded vegetarian suet)

125 milliliters/4fl oz cold water

You can add any veg you like to this versatile stew. Just add root vegetables and squash at the beginning, green vegetables towards the end and frozen peas or sweetcorn at the last minute. Adding baked beans adds a little sweetness, plus fibre and protein.

Each serving provides 162 kcal, 7g protein, 25g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 2.5g fat (of which 0.5g saturates), 8g fibre and 0.4g salt.

Versatile vegetable stew

olive oil

onion, finely diced

garlic cloves, finely diced

tsp sweet smoked paprika

½ tsp dried thyme

potatoes, peeled, cut into 1cm/½in dice

600 milliliters/21fl oz vegetable stock

cauliflower,

200 grams/7 ounces fine green beans, cut into 2cm/¾in pieces

beans

parsley

Adding flavoursome, peppery chorizo to a vegetable-packed stew makes a little meat go a long way. 

If you're cooking for yourself this dish is great for batch cooking. Just portion up the leftovers, leave to cool and then freeze. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

This meal, if served as three portions, provides 305kcal, 15g protein, 23g carbohydrate (of which 10g sugars), 15g fat (of which 4g saturates), 8.5g fibre and 0.9g salt per portion.


With a GI of 45 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

Chickpea and chorizo stew

sunflower olive oil

onion,

garlic cloves,

grams/2½oz chorizo

tsp hot smoked paprika

tomatoes

200 milliliters/7fl oz just-boiled water

chickpeas

curly

This is a real store cupboard saviour. Pork mince can vary wildly in fat content, so make sure you check before buying. You could add more vegetables to this stew if you like - spinach, sweet potato, carrot or celery would all work. Chickpeas are a nice substitution for the beans, too.

Each serving provides 366 kcal, 27g protein, 44g carbohydrate (of which 7.5g sugars), 7.5g fat (of which 3g saturates), 7g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Chorizo and meatball stew

pork

breadcrumbs

garlic

onion, grated

oil,

chorizo

cannellini

roasted red peppers

100 grams/3½oz basmati rice

Chickpeas are filling, delicious, easy to cook and cheap, making them the perfect choice for students. See also our <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/easy_hummus_96922">easy hummus recipe</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/homemade_falafels_with_30527">easy falafel recipe</a> for more ways to shuzsh up that tin!

Each serving provides 357 kcal, 14.5g protein, 30g carbohydrates (of which 11g sugars), 18g fat (of which 3g saturates), 10g fibre and 0.4g salt.

Chickpeas with harissa and yoghurt

½ red onion, thinly sliced

courgette, halved lengthways and sliced

tin chickpeas,

harissa paste

8–10 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ lemon, juice only

tbsp plain yoghurt

Three easy, tasty ways with a chickpeas tin- falafel, hummus and with harissa.

Pimp my chickpeas tin

Try this smoky chipotle bean stew for a satisfying veggie dinner. Dr Rupy's recipe is great served with tortilla chips and his quick pickles, and only costs around 50p per portion to make. 

Each serving provides 404 kcal, 18g protein, 51g carbohydrate (of which 12g sugars), 13g fat (of which 5.5g saturates), 4g fibre and 1.1g salt. 

Chipotle pinto bean stew

250 grams/9 ounces dried pinto beans

olive oil,

onions, finely chopped

celery sticks, finely chopped

cinnamon

tbsp chipotle paste (approx. 20 grams/¾oz)

grams/1 tomato purée

vegetable stock cube

200 grams/7 ounces frozen sweetcorn (or tinned sweetcorn, drained)

grams/1¾oz pickled jalapeño chillies, drained (optional)

150 milliliters/5fl oz soured cream

paprika

wholemeal flour tortilla wraps,

Try this smoky chipotle bean stew for a satisfying veggie dinner.

Packed with goodness, tasty vegetables and layered slices of potato, this hotpot is easy on the wallet too. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.

Vegetarian Lancashire hotpot

½ swede (about 350 grams/12 ounces), peeled and chopped

milliliters/1⅓ pint–1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock,

pearl barley

thyme, leaves only

900 grams/2lb potatoes,

butter

This easy vegetarian lentil stew is served with cherry tomatoes and cinnamon-flavoured almonds.

This meal is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/low-calorie_recipes">low calorie</a>  and if served as four portions provides 351 kcal, 20g protein, 37g carbohydrate (of which 7.5g sugars), 14g fat (of which 1.5g saturates), 11.5g fibre and 1.9g salt per portion.

Almond lentil stew

tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying the almonds

carrot, chopped

celery,

onion, chopped

turnip, chopped

garlic cloves, chopped

150 grams/5½oz baby button mushrooms, halved

green lentils

vegetable stock

bay leaf

rosemary

thyme

almonds

cherry tomatoes, quartered

This easy vegetarian lentil stew is served with cherry tomatoes and cinnamon-flavoured almonds.

This lentil and pumpkin stew is all about how to make a straightforward recipe a lot more exciting - with very little effort.  Perfect for when it’s cooling down outside and you want something really warming.

Each serving provides 273kcal, 8g protein, 28g carbohydrate (of which 14g sugars), 12g fat (of which 7g saturates), 9g fibre and 2g salt.

Pumpkin stew with sour cream

grams/1½oz butter

onions, chopped

bay leaves

garlic, chopped

lentils

1.2litres/2pints 2fl oz vegetable stock

pumpkin

tbsp red wine vinegar

sour cream

This lentil and pumpkin stew is all about how to make a straightforward recipe a lot more exciting - with very little effort.  Perfect for when it’s cooling down outside and you want something really warming. 

This wholesome warming one-pot vegetarian casserole is perfect for cold January nights. It's full of beans, celeriac and topped with fluffy dumplings. This wholesome one pot is perfect for cold nights – simple enough to whip up quickly, but smart enough to serve to friends.


Vegetable casserole with dumplings

tbsp butter

tsp English mustard powder

150 milliliters/5fl oz apple juice

tbsp wholegrain mustard

450 grams/1lb peeled celeriac, chopped into 1–2cm/½–¾in thick, small wedges

leeks,

100 grams/3½oz baby spinach

tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

tarragon

150 grams/5½oz self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling

½ tsp baking powder

butter,

tarragon,

salt

75 grams/2¾ oz natural yoghurt

Create a taste of the Mediterranean with this hearty vegan stew served with potato cakes. The perfect everyday meal. 

Each serving provides 471kcal, 13.5g protein, 51g carbohydrate (of which 13g sugars),	21g fat (of which 4g saturates), 13g fibre and 0.8g salt.

Mediterranean bean stew with potato griddle cakes

extra-virgin olive oil,

onions

courgettes, chopped into 1cm/½in batons

150 grams/5½oz celeriac,

garlic clove, finely chopped

tbsp smoked paprika

x 440 grams/1lb tin chopped tomatoes

200 milliliters/7fl oz vegetable stock

tin butter beans

basil

lemon, zest only

100 grams/3½oz cooked broad beans

potatoes

tsp baking powder

grams/3½oz plain flour

vegetable oil

This quick and light chicken stew is an easy and comforting midweek meal. It's packed with vegetables and fairly low in calories, so it's healthy too. 

Each serving provides 415 kcal, 48g protein, 26.5g carbohydrates (of which 7.5g sugars), 11g fat (of which 2g saturates), 8g fibre and 0.5g salt. 

With a GI of 49 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

Top 14 cheap stews recipes from across the web

The most viewed cheap stews recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Mexican bean stew

Simple chorizo and bean stew

Slow cooker vegetarian hotpot

Versatile vegetable stew

Chickpea and chorizo stew

Chorizo and meatball stew

Chickpeas with harissa and yoghurt

Chipotle pinto bean stew

Vegetarian Lancashire hotpot

Almond lentil stew

Pumpkin stew with sour cream

Vegetable casserole with dumplings

Mediterranean bean stew with potato...

Quick chicken stew

Top 14 cheap stews recipes from across the web

The most viewed cheap stews recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mexican bean stew

Simple chorizo and bean stew

Slow cooker vegetarian hotpot

Versatile vegetable stew

Chickpea and chorizo stew

Chorizo and meatball stew

Chickpeas with harissa and yoghurt

Chipotle pinto bean stew

Vegetarian Lancashire hotpot

Almond lentil stew

Pumpkin stew with sour cream

Vegetable casserole with dumplings

Mediterranean bean stew with potato...

Quick chicken stew

The most viewed cheap stews recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine