The best stew recipes for winter: One-pot comfort from around the world

January does strange things to us. We emerge from December’s butter-soaked fug convinced we’re going to live on green juice and good intentions, only to remember – usually around 4pm when it’s already dark – that what we actually want is a bowl of something hot enough to fog up a window.

Stew is that bowl: heavy, reassuring and impossible to rush.

What’s brilliant about stew is that it contains multitudes. It’s French and winey and slow, like Poppy O’Toole’s unapologetically indulgent bourguignon. It’s bright and citrusy, like Nadiya Hussain’s grapefruit chicken that brings a jolt of sunshine to a bleak kitchen. It’s smoky and sea-battered aboard a West Country fishing boat, thanks to Gill Meller.

It’s Thai basil and coconut; it’s almond butter and black beans; it’s plant-based peanut magic with a West African lineage that hops continents and generations. It’s Lucy Watson taking her time with vegan dumplings because patience tastes better, and Jack Monroe stirring through the sort of week that only stew can make bearable.

Stew gets better when ignored – left overnight, left on low, left while you go about rebuilding your life after Christmas. It’s forgiving, cheap-ish and endlessly adaptable: serve with rice, couscous, mash or bread; use chicken or beans; add more chilli or none at all. So if January is looking long, cold and blue, a good stew might just be the thing that gets you through.

“Picture it now… a beef bourguignon in the slow cooker. Red wine in the glass. Barry White on the Alexa. A rose between your teeth. Okay maybe a bit too far,” says chef Poppy O’Toole.

“And if I’m being honest, there’s probably better food to get you in the mood than this hearty beef and moist carrot stew, because after a bowl or two of this you’ll be needing at least a three-hour nap. But whatever floats your boat.”

If you’re partial to mustard, O’Toole recommends adding a spoonful of Dijon to the mixture before cooking, and serve either with mashed potato or crusty bread.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

800g beef shin, diced

200g pancetta

250g shallots, finely diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced

300g chestnut mushrooms, halved

2 carrots, thickly sliced

Small handful of thyme, leaves picked

2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked

2 bay leaves

250ml red wine (I like Malbec)

250ml beef stock

30g butter, cubed (optional)

Splash of olive oil

1 tbsp cornflour, slackened with water

Salt and black pepper

Flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve (optional)

Method:

1. Season the beef generously with salt and let it come up to room temperature. Then, tip it into the bowl of your slow cooker.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the cornflour, along with one teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper. Put the lid on and cook on high for five hours, until the beef is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork. Stir through the cornflour slurry, and scatter with a few flat-leaf parsley leaves to serve, if you like.

‘Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook’ by Poppy O’Toole (Bloomsbury Publishing, £20).

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“When I see fruit, I don’t just see dessert or sweets. I love using fruit in my savoury cooking too. That’s all thanks to my Bangladeshi home that I grew up in as a child,” explains Nadiya Hussain, former Great British Bake Off winner.

“Citrus works just as well with savoury dishes as it does with sweet. The old grapefruit doesn’t get much air time though. I love its combination of sweet and bitter, which works really nicely with the chicken. This stew is such a simple thing to make, but the grapefruit adds some razzle-dazzle.”

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the stew:

1kg skinless boneless chicken thighs, diced

1 tsp ground turmeric

4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 small onion, finely diced

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 large grapefruit, juice (about 150ml) and zest

500ml hot water

2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

A large handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

For the couscous:

400g couscous

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp unsalted butter (30g)

550ml boiling water

Method:

1. Put the chicken into a bowl, add half a teaspoon of turmeric and mix until all the chicken is covered. Place a large saucepan on the hob on a medium to high heat and add the oil. Fry the chicken in batches, until cooked and brown around the edges. Put back into the bowl and set aside.

2. Add a little extra oil, about a tablespoon, to the pan. Add the garlic, onion and salt and cook until the onion is soft – this can take 10-15 minutes.

3. Now add the cumin, chilli flakes and the remaining half a teaspoon of turmeric and cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the grapefruit juice and zest, along with the browned chicken. Mix through, then add the hot water.

5. Stir in the cornflour/water mixture, then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, put the couscous into a bowl and stir in the salt. Put the butter on top. Pour in the boiling water until it reaches about 1cm above the couscous. Cover, then set aside so that the couscous can soak up the water.

7. When the chicken stew is cooked, take it off the heat and add the parsley. Serve the stew with the couscous.

‘Nadiya’s Family Favourites’ by Nadiya Hussain (Michael Joseph, £20).

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“I first served this stew aboard a fishing boat, out on a big sea on a bloody cold day. I’d cooked it the day before (always a good idea with a stew) and reheated it over a tiny camp stove in the wheel-house. I remember the delicious smells carrying out to the hungry fishermen on deck,” recalls chef Gill Meller, best known for his work at River Cottage with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

“Despite the swell, and the rock and roll, I managed to bring out piping hot bowlfuls, and for a moment all you could hear was the wind and the sea. We ended up catching quite a few fish that day, including the unusual looking garfish, which interestingly, has otherworldly green bones.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Dash of extra-virgin olive oil

1 piece of cured pork belly (streaky bacon; about 350g), cut into 4-5cm cubes

500g fresh pork belly, cut into 4-5cm cubes

1 large or 2 small leeks, halved and sliced

2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

4-6 bay leaves

2-3 rosemary sprigs

2-3 thyme sprigs

2 tbsp plain flour

450ml cider

450ml pork, chicken or vegetable stock

Knob of butter

250g wild or cultivated mushrooms, cut into large pieces

200ml double cream

Small bunch of parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 3.

2. Start by heating the oil in a large heavy-based casserole set over a medium–high heat. Add the cured and fresh pork belly pieces and cook the meat for six to eight minutes, or until well browned on all sides.

3. Lift the pieces out of the pan using a spatula or slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leeks to the same pan, along with the sliced garlic, all the herbs and a little seasoning. Sweat the leeks gently for about 10 minutes, then return the browned pork pieces to the pan, sprinkle over the plain flour and stir well.

4. Cook for a further three to four minutes, then pour in the cider and stock and bring to a simmer. Stir well, then place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and place in the oven for two hours, until the pork is fork tender.

5. Meanwhile, set a large frying pan over a high heat and add the butter. When it’s bubbling, add the mushrooms, season them lightly and sauté, turning them regularly, for six to eight minutes, until cooked through. Set aside.

6. When the casserole is ready, remove it from the oven and add the fried mushrooms and double cream. Stir well, then return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes without its lid.

7. Stir in the chopped parsley and check the seasoning before bringing to the table with a sharply dressed green salad and some good bread.

‘Time: A Year And A Day In The Kitchen’ by Gill Meller (Quadrille, £25).

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“Umami really comes out to play in this quick but rich stew, with coconut milk, tomatoes, and soy and fish sauces all providing savoury synergy,” says chef Ryan Riley, co-founder of Life Kitchen, a not-for-profit cookery school for cancer patients.

“Thai basil is a favourite of mine and here it brings vibrancy, while the spices add a darting lift. This is a 30-minute midweek meal that doesn’t hold back when it comes to a warming, satisfying flavour explosion.”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 tbsp garlic paste

4 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp white pepper, plus extra to season

½ tsp salt, plus extra to season

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 long red (Thai) chillies, finely chopped with seeds (keep back a few slices to garnish)

100g Thai basil leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish

1 × 400g tin of full-fat coconut milk

300ml chicken stock

10 mixed-colour cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp light brown soft sugar

Steamed vegetables and boiled jasmine rice, to serve

Method:

1. Place the diced chicken into a bowl and add the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, white pepper and salt and mix well. Leave to marinate overnight if you have time, but for at least 10 minutes.

2. When you’re ready to cook, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium–high heat. Add in the marinated chicken and fry it for five to six minutes, turning, until the chicken begins to brown. Add the chillies and half of the basil, followed by the coconut milk and chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, and simmer for a further five minutes, until the tomatoes are just softened and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the stew from the heat, season with salt and extra white pepper, and stir through the remainder of the basil. Scatter over the extra basil leaves and the chilli slices to garnish.

3. Serve with steamed vegetables and cooked jasmine rice.

‘Small Pleasures: Joyful Recipes For Difficult Times’ by Ryan Riley (Bloomsbury, £22).

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“This dish is unashamedly West African, where peanut stews are common,” says food writer Melissa Thompson.

“Yet I’ve included it here because the movement of peanuts around the world tells of the trading routes that saw food, goods and people cross the Atlantic through the Columbian Exchange and beyond. The Spanish are said to have taken them back to Spain following their exploration of the so-called New World, where they were planted. From there they were taken to Africa, probably through trade, before being returned to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade.

“Today, peanuts grow throughout Jamaica, especially in St Elizabeth. So while this isn’t a Jamaican dish, it’s one that draws on the West African influence that has inspired island food.”

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

Vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2.5cm piece of ginger, finely grated

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2.5cm cubes

400ml vegetable stock

400g can of red kidney beans, drained

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 mature bunches of spinach, washed and roughly chopped, coarse stalks removed

Sea salt

Boiled rice, to serve

Method:

1. In a Dutch pot or large saucepan, fry the onion in a little oil. After eight minutes, add the garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes before adding the spices, mixed with a little water to prevent them burning. Stir and cook until the spices become aromatic.

2. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat, then pour in the stock and add the beans and peanut butter. Put a lid on the pot and cook for 10–15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft.

3. Remove the lid, mix in the spinach and leave for five minutes until cooked through. Taste, then add salt until seasoned as you prefer.

4. Serve with boiled rice.

‘Motherland’ by Melissa Thompson (Bloomsbury Publishing, £26).

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“There are some recipes that are ideal for making ahead of time and seem to improve in flavour once you plonk them in the fridge for an overnight stay. This is particularly true of a tomato-based meatball stew like this one,” says chef Donal Skehan.

“The spices have an opportunity to mingle with the lamb, the harissa paste has time to develop the deep hum of heat in the sauce, and you are left with a pot of something truly special.

“Make these meatballs while you have time on a Sunday night, and all you have to do to make a meal of them is serve them at the table with rice or couscous, and maybe some flatbreads.”

If you don’t have a slow cooker, make this in a casserole dish and cook, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 160°C/140°C fan/320°F/Gas 3 for one hour.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

450g minced lamb

½ red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 medium free-range egg

2 tsp ras el hanout

30g fresh white breadcrumbs

1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

½ red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 heaped tbsp harissa paste

Grated zest of 1 lemon

400g tin chopped tomatoes

100ml chicken stock

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

To serve:

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Couscous, steamed

Greek yoghurt

Flatbreads, charred and torn

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix the lamb with the red onion, garlic, egg, ras el hanout, breadcrumbs and parsley. Season well and with wet hands, shape into 20 walnut-sized balls.

2. Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan or using the sauté function on the slow cooker and brown the meatballs all over. Transfer to a plate.

3. Now for the sauce. Add the one tablespoon of oil to the pan or slow cooker and gently fry the onion for five minutes, then add the garlic, harissa and lemon zest, and cook for one minute more.

4. Transfer to the slow cooker (if you’re not already using it), then add the meatballs. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock.

5. Season well and cook on high for four hours, then add the chickpeas and cook for a further 30 minutes. If the sauce is too juicy at the end, remove the meatballs and reduce to your liking in a pan or using the sauté function on your slow cooker.

6. Serve the meatballs and sauce scattered with parsley, with steamed couscous, a dollop of yoghurt and flatbreads.

‘Home Kitchen: Everyday Cooking Made Simple And Delicious’ by Donal Skehan (Yellow Kite, £25).

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“The best thing about batch cooking is that the flavours of the dish tend to get better the longer they marinate, so the leftovers are always a real treat, and this is certainly the case in this recipe,” says Ella Mills, the brains behind Deliciously Ella.

“It’s hearty and cosy, with lovely spices from the harissa, sweetness from the coconut and maple syrup, and a delicious nutty flavour from the almonds. The aubergine gives it great texture, while the beans ensure it really fills you up. It’s great on its own for a light supper, or for something a bit more substantial serve it with jasmine rice, jacket potatoes or crispy roast cauliflower.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, halved and finely sliced

1 aubergine, finely diced into 1cm cubes

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 × 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tbsp harissa, plus extra to serve

1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk

400ml hot vegetable stock

2 heaped tbsp smooth almond butter

2 tsp maple syrup

Grated zest and juice of 2 juicy limes

Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Put the olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the shallot and aubergine and a pinch of salt and fry for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, black beans and harissa and fry for two minutes, until fragrant.

2. Pour in the coconut milk, stock, almond butter and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

3. Stir in the lime zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Swirl an extra tablespoon of harissa through the stew to serve (if you’d like a little extra spice).

Note: To make crispy roast cauliflower, simply chop your cauliflower into small florets, place them on a baking tray with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and roast in an oven preheated to 200C fan for about 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy.

My girls love this recipe too, so when I’m cooking it for the family I hold off on the harissa and stir it into the adult portions once I’ve served the little ones.

‘Deliciously Ella: Healthy Made Simple’ by Ella Mills (Yellow Kite, £22).

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“We adore this stew. It’s quick to make but full of flavour (and tastes even better as leftovers the next day),” write Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Richard Jones in their family cookbook.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

200g cooking chorizo, chopped into bite-sized chunks

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

400ml red wine

1 tbsp tomato purée

2 × 400g cans of chopped tomatoes

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

200g couscous

1 vegetable stock cube

300ml boiling water

400g cod fillets

½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and chuck in the chorizo. Fry for a few minutes or until it starts to release a little of its oil, then add the onion and garlic and fry for a further five minutes.

2. Add the celery and peppers, along with the coriander and fennel seeds and fry for a further five minutes. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate a little, then add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and dried chilli flakes and season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, bring the kettle to the boil. Place the couscous in a medium mixing bowl. Pop the stock cube into a measuring jug and pour over the measured boiling water, then give it a good mix. Pour 200ml of the stock over the couscous and cover or place a lid on top. Leave to steam for five to eight minutes.

4. Pour the remaining stock into the tomato pan and bring to the boil. Carefully nestle the cod fillets into the sauce so they are mostly covered, then pop a lid on the pan and simmer for five minutes.

5. Fluff the couscous with a fork. When the fish is lovely and flaky, serve the stew with a sprinkle of parsley leaves, with lemon wedges and some fluffy couscous on the side.

‘Love. Food. Family: Recipes From The Kitchen Disco’ by Sophie Ellis Bextor and Richard Jones (Hamlyn, £20).

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“My mum spent many summers in Sierra Leone, where her dad comes from, and this peanut stew was one of her favourite dishes,” explains plant-based food blogger Rachel Ama. “She usually had it with chicken, but when I made this plant-based version for her to try, she had the biggest smile on her face.

“This recipe is a definite winner in our house, perfect for when you want a really hearty and comforting dinner with a nice touch of spice to set your taste buds tingling. My favourite way to eat this is with plantains and coleslaw.”

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp peanut oil

500g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 × 400g tin of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

½ fresh red Scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and kept whole (optional)

3 tbsp tomato purée

1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

500ml vegetable stock

125g natural smooth peanut butter

200g spinach, chopped

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

Salt and black pepper

For the paste:

2 onions, roughly chopped

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground fenugreek

½-1 fresh red Scotch bonnet chilli (to taste), deseeded and roughly chopped

Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Place all the paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz into a coarse paste.

2. Heat one tablespoon of the peanut oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or shallow frying pan. Add the paste and sauté over a medium–low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more oil if the paste starts to stick to the pan.

3. Add the sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, Scotch bonnet chilli (if using – see introduction) and tomato purée and mix to combine. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock, add the peanut butter, season with salt and pepper and stir in well. Cover the pan with a lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, leaving it to wilt in the pan for five minutes. To finish, add the lemon juice, coriander, spring onions and sliced chillies and check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

‘Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats: Tasty Plant-based Recipes For Every Day’ by Rachel Ama (Ebury, £20).

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“Using store cupboard staples and spinach from the freezer, this Seville-inspired stew comes together in under 20 minutes and is a hit with everyone,” promises food writer and caterer, Melissa Hemsley.

“You could swap the spinach for other greens, such as chopped chard, or add extra bits and bobs, such as a few tablespoons of capers, olives or chopped sun-dried tomatoes. I love this as a stew-like soup in a bowl, but you could make it thicker and serve with a side of quinoa.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp chopped or flaked almonds

1½ tbsp butter or ghee

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large red or orange pepper, deseeded and chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 large handful of fresh parsley, stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped

1 tbsp tomato purée

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

100ml stock or water (optional)

250g spinach

1 tbsp lemon juice

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Method:

1. In a large, deep frying pan, toast the almonds over a medium heat for just under a minute until golden, then set aside. Melt the butter in the hot pan, add the onion and pepper and fry for six minutes until starting to soften.

2. Add the garlic, spices and parsley stalks and fry for one minute, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning, then add the tomato purée and cook for another 30 seconds.

3. Tip the tinned tomatoes into the pan, turn up the heat to a medium simmer and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered, to thicken and reduce. Add the chickpeas and cook for another three minutes with a lid on. If you want the stew to be more soup-like, add the stock.

4. Turn up the heat, drop in the spinach and cook for one minute, covered with the lid, then add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve each bowl with a good drizzle of olive oil and with the parsley leaves and toasted almonds scattered over.

‘Eat Happy: 30-minute Feelgood Food’ by Melissa Hemsley (Ebury Press, £20).

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Gill Meller says this recipe is “set somewhere between a cassoulet and Boston baked beans. It’s absolutely perfect for cooking round the campfire – rich, hearty and warming,” he adds. “You’ll need to get it going in the afternoon, and then let it simmer away gently, until dusk.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

250g dried haricot beans

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

200g bacon lardons or bacon off-cuts

3 celery sticks, cut in 2-3cm pieces

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

7-8 sage leaves, cut into ribbons

1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and chopped

1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp light brown soft sugar

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

250g piece of smoked bacon

2-3 bay leaves

6-8 pork sausages

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover them with water. Add the salt, give the beans a stir and allow them to soak for 10-12 hours or overnight. (If you’re camping, you may want to do this before you leave.)

2. Drain the beans and place them in a large pan. Cover with more water and set the pan over a hot fire. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender – about 45 minutes should do it.

3. Set a large, heavy-based saucepan, that has a lid, over a medium-hot fire.

4. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and, when it’s hot, add the bacon lardons and fry them until they take on a bit of colour and begin to render some of their fat. Now, add the celery, onion and garlic. Stir well and continue to cook for five to 10 minutes more. Add the sage and rosemary and some black pepper.

5. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar and red wine vinegar. Add the drained beans and about 500 millilitres of water, so the bacon and beans are covered. Tuck in the piece of smoked bacon and add the bay leaves. Put a lid on the pan and let it cook gently for two hours.

6. When it’s had its time simmering and the beans are meltingly tender, lay the sausages down on the grill over a medium-high heat. Cook them, turning regularly, until they are dark and caramelised, then add them to the stew. If they seem a bit too big, just cut them in half. Continue to cook the stew gently for 15-20 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through, then take it off the fire and let it rest and cool for at least 10–15 minutes before serving.

‘Outside: Recipes For A Wilder Way Of Eating’ by Gill Meller (Quadrille, £30).

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With two vegan cookbooks now under her belt, Lucy Watson admits the way she approaches food has changed – and she’s happy to take longer over things now.

“Patience gives you results that make it all worth it,” she says – and her white bean stew with dumplings is a good example. “It takes a long time to make, but it’s so worth it.”

This is the kind of meal Watson will make when she’s throwing a dinner party or having lots of friends over, and is the perfect warming dish for cooler weather.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

For the stew:

200g dried white beans

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

130g vegan chorizo sausages, cut into thick slices

2 tbsp sundried tomato paste

230ml vegan red wine

2 bay leaves

2 thyme sprigs

3 large carrots, cut into thick slices

2 celery sticks, cut into 2cm lengths

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

400g tin tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

750ml vegetable stock

For the dumplings:

130g plain flour

Zest of 1 lemon

A small bunch of dill, fronds roughly chopped

75g vegetable suet

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Method:

1. Put the white beans in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Boil the beans for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave to soak for three hours. Drain the beans after they have soaked. Leave to one side.

2. Preheat the oven to 150C (130C fan, gas 2). Put the oil in a flameproof casserole and cook the onions over a medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chorizo, and cook for two minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for one minute.

3. Add the wine, bay leaves and thyme, and allow to bubble away for four–five minutes until reduced. Add the remaining ingredients, including the soaked beans. Bring everything to the boil, cover and transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for two-and-a-half hours.

4. Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the lemon zest and chopped dill. Add the suet and rub into the flour with your fingertips. Add the mustard and enough cold water to bring the dough together. Roll into walnut-sized balls. Add a splash of water to the stew if it’s looking a little dry. Put the dumplings on top of the stew, increase the oven temperature to 190C (170C fan, gas 5), put the lid back on and cook for a further 30 minutes until the dumplings are fluffy and firm, then serve.

‘Feed Me Vegan: For All Occasions’ by Lucy Watson (Sphere, £18.99).

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“This recipe first appeared on my Instagram account,” says recipe writer and activist, Jack Monroe. “It was a rough night, in the middle of a tough week, embedded in a hellish year, and I wasn’t cooking. Overwhelmed by life and sadness, I hadn’t been in my kitchen for days. I needed comfort, and nourishment, and I forced myself to the stove.

“This revelation may come as something of a surprise, but even I can’t cook sometimes. This did the trick – and you can use a handful of frozen veg in place of chopping anything, if you like.”

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

Oil, for frying

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

A few handfuls of finely chopped or grated root veg (I like carrot, parsnip, spud, sweet potato – any root will do)

1 tsp paprika

150g tofu or 2 white fish fillets

1 x 400g tin of beans (baked, kidney, butter, cannellini, chickpeas – any beans), drained

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

A fistful of kale or spinach

A squeeze of lemon juice

A pinch of salt and a bit of cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Warm a little oil in a pan over low heat and cook the garlic and onion to soften.

2. Add the finely chopped or grated root veg and stir some more, then add the paprika and stir in. The stirring is key. It is soothing. It is mindless, not mindful. Sod mindful. My mind is full enough. It is a minefield. Sometimes I want to stir some stuff and stare at my hands or into nothing.

3. Chuck in some chunks of tofu if you’re veggie/vegan, or white or tinned fish if you aren’t. Tip in the beans. Whatever beans – add them for goodness. For laziness. For filling comfort. For making it stretch into an extra meal you won’t have to cook. Pour over the tomatoes. The cheaper ones are brilliantly sloppy and liquid and excellent for soups and stews.

4. Shred some kale in your hands. Rip it the heck up with all the stress and physicality you can muster. Go on. Tear it to shreds. Drop it in. Stir it through, breathe, and stir, and breathe.

5. Bring to the boil, like your fury, heat it up and watch it roar, then reduce it to a simmer. Douse in lemon juice to brighten, add some salt and pepper to amplify the flavours. Eat.

‘Cooking On A Bootstrap’ by Jack Monroe (Bluebird, £15.99).