Meal Planning Inspiration
Soups & Stews

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is often cooked “low and slow,” which yields beautiful flavor complexity, but requires some attention throughout the duration of cooking. I love Williams Sonoma‘s Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, because it is modified for the slow cooker. Adding the okra at the end of cooking helps the vegetable retain an appealing al dente texture.

I suspect you could treat this as a dump-and-go, but the flavor profile would not be as rich, since you would lose some of the caramel flavors that browning produces.

Keep this dish simple and traditional by serving it on a bed of fluffy white rice.

Kale and Good Mother Stallard Bean Stew

Williams Sonoma delivers a satisfying, delicious vegan option in this Kale and Good Mother Stallard Bean Stew.  This dish is simple to prepare, but the extended cook time and unusual bean shifts this dish into my “Worth the Effort” category.

You can find Good Mother Stallard Beans on amazon.com, but I leveraged cranberry beans, since I had them on-hand.  I look forward to trying this recipe with the intended legume next time.  As always, I doubled the vegetables in the stew and elected to use lacinato kale (aka dino kale), though I think a traditional curly leafed kale would add a lovely volume to the stew.

Cook’s Illustrated recommends boiling the beans until al dente (no overnight or quick soak).  I have found this method to yield the best texture and most consistently protects the integrity of the bean shape.  I find most beans cook within two hours of simmering.  Start checking the doneness at 1-hour.

Pasta, Kale and White Bean Soup

Admittedly, not the prettiest picture, but this was a fun recipe from Food Network.  Aside from my own chicken noodle soup, I rarely cook soups with pasta.

Big and Little chose mini shells for the pasta.  We increased the carrots and used lacinato kale (aka dino kale).  Slice the kale super thinly so that it becomes tender in the allotted cook time. 

For the white beans, I chose cannellini beans.  While canned beans are a super easy option, for the best texture, boil dried beans for about an hour until al dente, then add to the soup at the prescribed time.

You could substitute a vegetarian broth to convert this recipe to vegetarian.  Or go entirely the opposite way (like we did here) and add bits of rotisserie chicken for additional protein.  Sausage would also be a good option.

Beef Chili with Masa Harina

Beef Chili with Masa Harina by Williams Sonoma is a delicious and simple version of classic chili – a hearty, satisfying dish.

Chili is often a crowd-pleaser, and an excellent option for serving large groups. I love to accompany chili with a variety of toppings, so each person can make it their own.

Topping Ideas: shredded cheese, scallions, avocado, sour cream, shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, corn chips, jalapeno chips, pickled or fresh jalapenos, diced red onion, green chiles, salsa, sliced radish

Korean Beef and Kimchi Stew

Korean Beef and Kimchi Stew by Williams Sonoma is a must-try. The flavors are fantastic, and I love the fall-apart tender meat from the slow cooker.

Next time, I plan to try boneless short ribs, as I wanted just a little bit more meat in this stew.

Unsurprisingly, my other recommendation is to add additional carrots. The recipe calls for one, but I included at least six.

French-Style Pork Stew

America’s Test Kitchen accomplished a near-impossible task … they created a light stew. This dish is worth the effort and a perfect welcome to spring.

You could easily substitute smoked bacon if you cannot find ham hock. I recommend you try the ham hock (even if you don’t use the meat) as the bone contributes to a silky, divine broth.

Monitor your vegetables closely to avoid creating a texture-less, mushy meal. The carrots and potatoes are added in step 3 and continue to cook across step 4, so you need to consider the entire cook time. Depending on the size you cut your vegetables, I recommend cooking the potatoes and vegetables for about 10-15 minutes in step 3, and reduce step 4 to about 5-10 minutes.

Braised Herb Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

This recipe is another delicious Nonna and Nonno find. My favorite part about this stew by Cooking Light is the broth. Little is my broth-lover, and after the last bite, he tilted his bowl to drink every last drop.

To up the nutrient content of this dish, we added extra carrots and a container of spinach. Yes to leafy greens!

A slice of crusty bread finishes this dish nicely. You could also serve it over quinoa or buttered egg noodles for a bit more heft.

Chickpea Noodle Soup

In my quest for a variety of delicious and simple vegetarian recipes, Bon Appetit appears to be winning. Bonus points … if the recipe isn’t already vegan … it’s easily converted.

This was my first time using nutritional yeast, and I loved the flavor it imparted to the broth.

Don’t skip roasting the chickpeas. This adds a delightful crunchy texture to what would otherwise be a somewhat soft (and dare I say mushy) mouthfeel.

I oven-roasted the broccolini, rather than boiling it in the broth, and this added a nice toasty note to the dish. The stems of broccolini can be tough, so if the stalk is on the thick side, you might want to consider peeling it. I noticed Little chewed a couple bites for a VERY long time. He patiently persevered, but I recommend avoiding the excessive jaw workout.

Spiced Creamy White Greens & Beans

Spiced Creamy White Greens & Beans is an excellent vegan discovery. The earthy, rich flavors produced by this Bon Appetit recipe are downright lovely, and the recipe is simple to make. I love the crunchy texture introduced by the cumin seed tadka.

I didn’t want to lose the heft of the beans to mashing, and I don’t prefer the texture or appearance of mashed beans, so I added a can of coconut milk to give a bit of silkiness and weight to the broth.

Orzo and Chickpeas with Turmeric-Ginger Broth

I love the fresh and interesting flavor profile of the broth. This Food & Wine dish comes together quickly and is perfect for an evening where you are looking for a light meal.

To give a bit of silkiness and weight to the broth, I added a can of coconut milk. We topped the soup with thinly sliced shallots and cilantro. A dollop of gochuchang sauce introduced a touch of heat.

I tossed cauliflower with a some turmeric, salt, and pepper and prepared it according to my Simple Roasted Cauliflower recipe. We realized this was also an excellent topping.

Smoky Beans and Greens in Tomato Broth

I love beans and greens … and I’m constantly looking to add to my list of vegetarian dishes. Smoky Beans and Greens in Tomato Broth by Food & Wine lends a smoky, earthy flavor profile to my list of vegetarian go-to recipes, and I love this southern twist on beans and greens.

This dish is on the spicy side, so meter the heat with a dollop of sour cream.

A crusty bread is perfect for capturing the last bits of flavorful broth and balances the texture. I brushed a bit of ciabatta with olive oil and toast in the oven until golden brown.

Chicken Coconut Soup with Lemongrass

I cannot believe I have been making this recipe by Williams Sonoma for over 20 years. The online version has changed just a bit, so I’ll highlight what is different.

For our own modifications, we do not use fish sauce (just a personal preference). To make this a more complete one-dish meal, we increase the mushrooms and add bell pepper. We often serve the soup over rice (but not always).

The online version remains fairly true to the original recipe, but adds sugar and lime zest (or makrut leaves) and substitutes cilantro for basil. There you have it … you’ve now got two recipes in one.

Spicy Coconut Chicken Stew with Corn

I love soup by Food & Wine year-round, but there is something about this soup that is so right now. It is perfect for the transition to spring. The layered flavor and warm broth fights the last bit of winter chill. The lime lends a bit of brightness … and nothing screams summer like corn.

I love this recipe because it was delicious + super fast + super easy, always a winning combinoation in my book.

Thai chiles pack a punch at 50-100K Scoville Heat Units. Try substituting a serrano (5-15K SHU) or a jalapeno (2-5K SHU). To remove the heat from chile, scrape out the white membranes and seeds, as this is where the heat lives.

We topped the soup with plenty of fresh basil leaves and served the soup over rice to give it a bit more heft. Bean sprouts would be an excellent accompaniment.

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

I’m placing this recipe from Food & Wine in the “Worth the Effort” bucket, because (1) it takes special effort to find one of the ingredients in the house spice (enter Amazon.com) and (2) the extended cooking time for the beans. The house spice recipe makes an enormous quantity, so I recommend halving the recipe, and if you do this, you’ll still have close to a cup of spice left over to use in other dishes.

First off, according to America’s Test Kitchen, cooking beans without a pre-soak yields a better texture and less breakage. That means you have to plan to simmer the beans about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. You’ll then combine the beans with the rest of the recipe to finish the cooking process (simmer for about 30-minutes until the beans are al dente).

I used smoked bacon instead of ham hocks. Cook the bacon until about halfway to crispy, and then add the sausage. I cooked this delicious combination until the bacon was crispy and the sausage had a nice brown edge. Set the meat aside and use the grease to cook the vegetables.

To up the vegetable quota, we added thinly sliced cabbage, and sour cream tempered the heat. Note, this recipe has a decent amount of spice (I think due to the andouille sausage I chose) and I was impressed that neither Big or Little complained. TIP A big glass of milk helps to neutralize heat.

Chickpea Stew

I am on the hunt for hearty vegetarian recipes, and this is a winner. The flavors are rich and warm, and the textures are divine. I love the crunch imparted by the roasted kale and chickpeas.

While both Big and Little rated this recipe two thumbs up, it is a bit spicy. I ended up using about 3/4 of the spice mixture. The labneh tempers the heat and adds a rich creaminess to the broth. For extra back-up, serve with a side of milk, as dairy helps neutralize the heat. Capsaicin is oil-based, so water simply spreads the heat around your mouth.

I ran out of hungarian paprika, so I subbed a teaspoon of smoked paprika and liked the subtle depth in flavor it created.

Cranberry Bean and Farro Soup

Cranberry beans are not a standard item in the grocery store. Thank goodness nearly anything can be found online.

This recipe does call for a bit of pancetta, which lends a subtle smokey element to the dish. While I followed the recipe here, next time I’ll make it vegetarian (in my quest for heaarty meatless dishes) by eliminating the pancetta and adding a healthy pinch of smoked paprika. I might also try a parmesan rind.

Aside from soaking the beans overnight, this is a dump-and-go crock pot recipe … super easy prep. We topped the dish with pea shoots for added nutrients and a bit of fresh crunch.

Winter Vegetable Stew

This stew was delicious.  I find preparing butternut squash to be a chore, so I wouldn’t call it easy, but it’s definitely simple.  Be sure to cut the vegetables to a similar size to promote even cooking.

Swap vegetable stock for the chicken stock to make it fully vegetarian.  I added chickpeas for extra protein. 

The dish called for watercress, but it wasn’t available at the grocery store, so I substituted pea shoots.  They added a fresh crunch, but I think the spice of watercress might have been a nice contrast to the sweet of the butternut squash.  Next time I might try arugula and add a bit of crunch with a toasted almond or pistachio. I served this with Israeli couscous, but it would also be delicious with a slice of toasted, rustic bread or rice.

Slow Cooker Pork Ramen

I am in love.  This EASY recipe yields delicious ramen in the comfort of your own home with the convenience of a slow cooker. This dish pleases even the pickiest of eaters, because guests can customize their toppings.

I highly recommend fresh ramen noodles, often found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  We topped our bowl with sliced scallions, toasted corn and butter, and sauteed mushrooms. The second time we made this dish we included parboiled bean sprouts.

The soft-boiled eggs add a luscious texture to the broth.  Fill a pot with an inch of water.  Bring the water to a simmer and gently add the egg.  Cover and simmer for 6 minutes.  At 6 minutes, use cold water to cool the eggs and stop the cooking.  Peel with a gentle touch.

Looking for a kick? Your answer is GOCHUCHANG sauce!

White Bean, Pasta, and Swiss Chard Soup

Plan ahead so you can soak the beans (about 4 hours to overnight) and account for about a 1-hr cook time. I tossed in a Parmesan rind to add body and flavor to the soup.

I’m always looking for ways to add additional veggies, so I added extra carrots and swiss chard, as well as tossed in some leftover lacinato kale.

An immersion blender makes for much simpler prep and clean-up.

Moroccan Meatball Soup

Nonno and Nonna came for a visit and brought this recipe card with them. Nonno treated us to his cooking, and I’m so happy he did. Big and Little loved the layered flavors in this dish.

Double this Food Network recipe – it is delicious! We wanted a pasta that retained its shape and provided texture, so we used toasted fregola. Another alternative is Israeli couscous.

Add extra carrots and spinach to amp-up the vegetable factor. We halved the harissa to meter the spice level.

A trick to quickly making uniform meatballs is … an ice cream scoop.

Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew

This is the perfect meal on a cold winter day … or any day when you’re craving something rich and satisfying. To obtain tender, fall-apart beef, do not shortcut the cook time.

We added extra carrots and used cremini mushrooms.

If you don’t have an ATK subscription, this recipe appears to be published with permission HERE by KCET, a Public Broadcasting Service member out of southern California.

Easy Cassoulet with Sausage, Bacon, and Riesling

Traditional cassoulet is easily a full-day commitment. Arguably, it is worth the investment, but really … who has the time. I love this simple, hearty recipe from Williams-Sonoma in Quick Slow Cooking (it is hard to go wrong with this cookbook).

I add plenty of extra carrots (try a full bunch), and the rich flavors are complemented by a salad with a tangy vinaigrette and a crusty bread.

Don’t overdue the cloves, as they can overwhelm the flavors of the dish and leave a bit of a bitter aftertaste.