Veal Stew with Wine, Zest and Thyme
“This is a winner in my fall/winter rotation. Always comes out so well. And it’s great for dinner with friends – a nice wine, some crunchy bread and hopefully the guests brought dessert”. April
Plump tender morsels of veal in a rich sauce of wine, tomatoes, thyme, garlic, carrots and onions, brightened with lemon zest and freshly chopped parsley. That’s Veal Stew with Wine, Zest and Thyme in a nutshell…. minus how downright delicious it is.
What to expect
I’ve been making this veal stew for years, and it always comes out great. I’ve also served it a couple of times at dinner parties and got several recipe requests (a good sign). I don’t use exact measurements anymore, but instead, taste and adjust the flavors at the end. A pinch more salt, a bit more thyme, a pinch of sugar, etc.
The method to cook this full bodied veal stew recipe is similar to most stews: brown the meat; sauté your vegetables until tender; add the liquids and seasonings; simmer until the meat and vegetables are tender and the broth thickens. This is the old-fashioned way. The aromas, the flavors, the memories cannot be underestimated.
If you’re an instant pot convert, though, feel free to check out our Instant Pot veal stew version. Also yum and you can save yourself a half hour or so.
I love how the lemon zest and capers give the stew a whole new flavor profile – a lift and zing – but you can always leave them out and make a more traditional tasting stew.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute rosemary for the thyme.
- Add mushrooms or baby potatoes when you add the diced tomatoes.
- Add a 1/2 cup heavy cream at the end for a creamier, less intense flavor.
- Just before serving, add 2 cups of roughly chopped baby spinach for color and extra nutrition.
Step by step instructions
What to serve with veal stew
Keep it simple and serve the veal stew with some warm crusty bread or cheesy garlic bread on croissants (for dipping). It’s also delicious over mashed potatoes or polenta with a nice fig salad. For dessert, try an easy no-bake Berry Crumble or step it up with Orange Polenta Cake.
Make Ahead
The veal stew can be made several days ahead, stored in a sealed container and warmed up gently on the stove. The taste is just as good or better, making it a great potluck recipe.
Other hearty meals in a bowl you might like
- Beef barley soup recipe
- Meatball stew
- Shrimp chowder Thai-style
- Sausage and bean soup
- Vegetable bean and barley soup
- Instant pot cabbage rolls unstuffed
Please leave a 5-star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe. Thank you so much!
Veal Stew with Wine, Zest and Thyme
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound veal stew meat, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1/2 spanish onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- chicken broth, up to 1 cup as needed enough to cover veal and vegetables
- 1 cup (rounded) diced canned tomatoes with little to no juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed (optional)
- zest, grated from 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
- 3 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- salt and black pepper to taste (and pinch of sugar if needed)
Instructions
- SAUTE VEAL: Put flour, salt and pepper into a plastic bag. Add veal and shake to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in saucepan to medium high heat. Add veal and brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove veal to a plate.
- SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: Add another tablespoon of oil to pan. Add onions and carrots. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté foran additional 1-2 minutes.
- COOK STEW: Add wine and boil until almost completely evaporated. Add diced canned tomatoes, veal, thyme, capers (if using) and just enough chicken broth to ensure the liquid to cover the meat and vegetables. (add a bit more tomatoes or chicken broth if needed). Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until veal is very tender.
- FINISH STEW AND SERVE: Stir in lemon zest and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper and extra thyme as needed. Add a pinch of sugar if needed as well to balance the acid in the tomatoes. Ladle into serving bowls and serve with crusty bread and a salad on the side. Or serve over noodles, rice, polenta or mashed potatoes.
Recipe Notes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute rosemary for the thyme.
- Add mushrooms or baby potatoes when you add the diced tomatoes.
- Add a 1/2 cup heavy cream at the end for a creamier, less intense flavor.
- Just before serving, add 2 cups of roughly chopped baby spinach for color and extra nutrition.
- Make Ahead: The stew can be made 4-5 days ahead, stored in an airtight container and warmed up gently on the stove.
Nutrition
This veal stew recipe, originally posted in Dec 2016, has been updated.
Hello recipe looks really fab, but is it suitable for veal with the bone in? Maybe longer cooking time? Thanks, Simon
Hi Simon, You should be fine with bone-in veal. I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure about the cooking time. I expect it will be about the same, but I would just cook it to the tenderness you like (keep checking/testing). I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Defrosted a package of “mystery meat” and it turned out to be veal cubes so I needed to find an easy recipe made with ingredients I had on hand. This fit the bill and I was delighted to find that it was excellent!! And easy. I added extra garlic, used fresh tomato, and also added some agave and a little bit of sumac at the end to bring out that lemony flavor. Served it over ancient grain blend.
Thanks to the twokooksinthekitchen! I’m a new fan.
Thanks Sol. I can tell you are a great cook! So glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Can I use stewing beef and use red wine/beef broth, following the same directions?
Yes, no problem Dani. That should be delicious. Hope you like it.
What’s a great appetizer to serve before the veal stew?
Hi Jay, Since you’re serving a big meat meal, I would suggest choosing a couple of these vegetarian appetizers. If you’re looking for something easy, try the “quick and easy” section which includes mini stuffed peppers with goat cheese, caprese appetizers (on toothpicks), dukkah, endive appetizers with ricotta and gems, and spiced popcorn. Enjoy your meal!
Hi Erica, sorry to hear about the floury meat. That can happen if the meat is wet and too much flour clings to it. You can try removing excess moisture on the meat next time with a paper towel then dusting the meat lightly with flour (shake off the excess flour). Or you can try your strategies which I think will work well too. Glad you liked the flavours and hope your next try will be a big hit.
I thought the stew had delicious flavour, but the texture was unpleasant due to small clumps of flour that fell off the meat and never incorporated into the sauce. Next time, I would sauté the meat without coating it in flour, make a roux and thin with the added broth. When adding fresh thyme, I used a sprig rather than chopped fresh thyme for easier removal when the desired amount of flavour had been achieved.
I am sorry at what point do I bring the meat back in the pot? It’s not mentioned in the instructions. I am assuming after the vegetables?
Oops. Sorry Kam. You are right. Add the veal back to the pot along with the broth. After searing vegetables. I’ll make the correction. Thanks for picking it up! Hope you like it.
Chicken broth is stated in the recipe but does not say how much. HELP please?
Hi Gail, the chicken broth is mentioned in the instructions (to add as needed). But it’s not in the ingredient list so I’ll add that now for clarity. You want the liquids to just be covering your meat and vegetables in the pot. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Gail is right. The chicken broth is noted in the instructions (to add as needed), but not in the ingredients list. I will make that correction. Thanks for catching it.
Made it last night?
Was delicious
Glad you liked it Janet! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
i like it but added a twist after tasting to adjust seasonings< . at the end and along with the lemon zest I made a roux with 5 white mushrooms sliced very thing and a 1/4 cup of dry sherry. Added it with the lemon zest. Truly wonderful
Great addition Rus. Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!