A Cold Day Delight: 26 Stew Recipes Perfect for Winter

If you can’t find Chinese five spice, substitute equal parts ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, and anise seeds.

Boned, skinned chicken thighs are just as convenient as breasts, and they have an added advantage: Their succulent texture and robust flavor stand up well to braising. Add the flavors of Italian salsa verde–bright parsley, tart lemon, piquant capers, and green olives–for a fresh, fast twist on cold-weather cooking.

Though loaded with chiles and peppers, this stew has a gentle heat. For a stronger punch, double the number of chiles.

Briny olives, chiles, and bright citrus make for a flavor explosion that just deepens as the dish sits—it’s fantastic as leftovers the next day.

This light, simple stew is a great way to use a bounty of fresh summer vegetables in an easy one-pan meal.

This Moroccan stew recipe is rich in nuts and spices and sweetened with currants. To make it in advance, just cook the spices and chop the vegetables the night before. Refrigerate in the crock overnight, then start it in the morning.

Western farmers grow all manner of lentils, including the green ones called French or lentilles du Puy, which cook up firm and nutty. Combine them with root vegetables, kale, and squash for a deeply satisfying winter meal.

Rich with ale and caramelized onions, this stew provides a thick, hearty base for the fluffy white dumplings that are dropped in at the end of cooking.

Bacon, smoked paprika, and chipotle chile powder (from dried smoked jalapeños) give this stew layers of smoky flavor.

You can use just about any mushroom you like for this stew (or a mix of varieties), as long as you add the more delicate ones during the last hour of cooking.

Hot paprika, pimentón and bacon give this savory beef stew recipe a hot, smoky flavor. For a flavor twist, sub sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes.

Browning the ribs and adding cocoa powder, cranberries, ginger, and orange zest make the stew sing.

Quick to throw together, this hearty dish uses cooked sausages. If you want to make it with uncooked sausages, cook them separately for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients.

The riper and redder the tomatoes, the better this quick dish will be.

The classic winter soup recipe, Great Northern Bean, is filled with hearty beans, bacon for flavor, and an assortment of vegetables and spices for a hearty meal that’s sure to warm you up.

We left the soup chunky with a clear broth, but you could easily purée it to create a smooth soup. Just don’t skip the avocado mixture, as it makes a refreshing contrast to the beans and spice.

You can prepare through step 4 up to 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and chill. Continue with step 5 just before serving or packing.

Bacon, fire-roasted tomatoes, and spicy smoked paprika give this easy-to-make chili recipe a deep, complex flavor. While it’s great right after you make it, it’s even better the next day. Serve with warm cornbread for a complete meal.

The perfect comfort meal on a cold winter day.

Serve a delicious vegetarian chili recipe for your next low-key gathering.

The combination of both black and white beans creates a nice mix, without having you raid your pantry.

Not only is this chili easy to make ahead, it actually improves with time.

The secret to this hearty soup is its flavorful broth, made with the corncobs. The kernels add extra corn flavor and crunch.

Some of corn’s best partners–medium-hot chiles, chorizo, and basil–join up in this simple dish. It’s substantial enough to call a chowder, but light enough for summer.

Spicy sausage, sweet potato, and saffron brighten up familiar halibut in this chowder.

We’ve used hominy instead of corn, giving this flavorful soup a satisfying bite and playing up the Southwest vibe of the avocado and cilantro toppings.