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This is one of my favorite dishes to make and eat. And it has never disappointed any of my guests who have tasted it. If you are a carnivore, you will love the tenderness of the meat cooked to perfection. You may use beef, lamb, chicken or even pork for this recipe. If you prefer the meatless variation, you will be blown away with the flavor of all the fresh vegetables mixed and cooked together. This stew is a pot of Mediterranean heaven!
ABOUT NIGHTSHADES: All of the vegetables in this recipe are considered nightshades; a family of plants that contain alkaloid compounds. Nightshades may exacerbate existing inflammation in the body for some people, so if you have arthritis or another inflammatory condition, you may want to skip this dish all together or try just a small amount to see how your body responds to it.
After I eliminated nightshades from my diet and slowly re-introduced them one by one, I noticed that it was only the tomato that cause some joint pain and inflammation. So, I consume it sparingly and use a small amount in my cooking.
Mediterranean Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound stew meat, cubed (organic, grass-fed)
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- ¾ cup of water or broth (beef or vegetable)
- 1 tsp of thick tomato paste (optional)
- 2 tomatoes, sliced or cut into chunks
- 1 bell pepper, sliced (any color)
- 1 eggplant, cut in half and then sliced
- 5 big white potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp of avocado oil or ghee
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Place meat in a large pot, add water to cover it, close the lid half way and let the meat cook over medium heat until the water evaporates.
- Add avocado oil or ghee and sliced onion to the same pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions and meat become golden brown.
- Mix in tomatoes and tomato paste (if desired), bell pepper, eggplant, garlic and add ¾ cup of water or broth.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.
- Next, add the potatoes and salt (to keep the potatoes from getting mushy). I usually add ½ tsp of salt.
- Continue to cook until potatoes are done (20-25 min).
- Once potatoes are cooked, sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro, mix the stew, let it cool for 5 minutes and serve.
Notes
- For a vegetarian variation, omit the meat.
- This stew is thick, but if you like yours on the thinner side, simply use more water or broth.
- You may cook this stew in a slow cooker on high setting in 2 hours, but I recommend browning the onions and meat separately first and then adding them to the slow cooker.
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I’ve been wanting to try this stew for a while and finally did as part of my meal-prep for the week. But then it was so easy to make and so delicious, that instead, I had two friends over for dinner that same night! I love the flavors in this stew especially the eggplant. At first I was a bit skeptical when I saw not much salt was used but if you follow the recipe, it lacks nothing. It’s full of flavor as is. I used organic gold potatoes which enhanced the deliciousness and gave a creamy texture. I made it with beef this time and will try with white fish when serving to my vegetarian friends. This paired great with red wine for the party and for lunch today I ladled the stew onto a bed of wilted spinach. Extra veggie boost and still a ‘comfort food’ feel. Thank you Naira for bringing me and my friends together over something simple and delicious.
I am so thrilled to read how much you enjoyed this stew, Sarah! Thank you for your review and please let me know how it turns out with white fish.
Soooo delicious!!! I recently made this recipe and I almost ate the whole stew in one sitting!
I would recommend to add feta on the side. Thank you for posting this, looking forward to try more recipes from you!
Great to hear that you enjoyed this stew, Dee. Thank you for the review and your brilliant feta recommendation!