Chicken wild rice soup in a brown bowl.

Stews and Soups

Cozy up to my best soup and stew recipes. From better-than-canned noodle soups to hearty chilis all the ways, these stew and soup recipes (such as this creamy Chicken Wild Rice masterpiece) will warm you up from the inside out.ย ย 

Stew vs Soup – what is the difference?

The biggest difference between a soup and a stew is the amount and consistency of broth, stock, or other liquid. Soups have more liquid and it tends to be watery. In fact, in soups, the broth may be the primary ingredient. With stews, there is less liquid overall, and it may be thicker or creamier in consistency.

The size of the ingredients are typically different as well: Soups have smaller pieces of meat and vegetables, whiles stews may have larger, chunkier pieces. Stews may often have a longer cooking time as well, while some soups can be made very quickly.

Soup Recipes

Types of Soup

Soups are typically classified based on their appearance and cooking technique, and they organized in the following categories:

  • Clear soups: broths and consommรฉs
  • Thick soups: cream soups and purรฉe soups
  • Other soups: bisques, chowders, and cold soups

Best Meat for Stew

For meltingly-tender chunks of stew meat, look for fatty, marbled cuts of beef like chuck roast. Names can vary, so look for any of these beef cuts: boneless beef chuck roast, chuck pot roast, chuck shoulder, bottom eye, round roast, rump roast, top round, round tip roast, English roast, or pot roast. Be sure to trim away an excess fat or connective tissue on the outside. These cuts of meat are usually inexpensive, too, which makes them an economical choice.

You can also make stews with other proteins including chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, shrimp, and fish. Or, make a stew entirely out of vegetables, completely free of any meat.

Types of Stews

There are two main types of stews:

  • Brown stews
  • White stews

For brown stews, you sear the meat first over direct high heat to form a crust, then you braise the meat in liquid on the stove or in the oven.

White stews are either cooked in fat without browning and then braised (fricassees) or blanched, rinsed, and then simmered (blanquettes). White stews should otherwise resemble the taste and texture of brown stews but with a white or ivory color.

More stew terms:

  • ragoรปt
  • gumbo
  • chili
  • goulash
  • tagine
  • adobo
  • navarin
  • cassoulet

Build a Better Chili Bar

Host a Chili Bar dinner so everyone can build their own dream dinner. Take a classic chili recipe over the top when you pair it with a buffet including cheese, sour cream, cornbread, hot sauce, and all the best toppings you can dream up. Chili Bars are ideal for parties in the cool months or an epic game day celebration.

45 minutes
View Recipe

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