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If you’re looking for new vegetable beef stews to try, this Lebanese inspired Peas and Carrots Stew (which we call Bazella w Riz – translates to peas and rice is hearty, nutritious and utterly comforting. It uses a classic base of making stew in the Middle East that can easily be adapted with any vegetables you’d like. This is one traditional recipe that I make at least once a month.
What is stew?
First, if you’re looking for a stew definition and wondering what’s the difference between soup and stew, you’re not alone. The two are very similar to each other in their concept of cooking vegetables with meat or seafood in a liquid or broth. It’s defined simply as cooking food by simmering or slow-boiling.
However, the main difference is the amount of liquid used. Stews use less liquid and so they’ll have a more hearty and thick consistency as compared to soups. And for that reason, they’re often times served on top of mashed potatoes or rice. We serve our stews on top of Lebanese Rice. This stew is an Arabic style of stew that we call yakhneh.
How to make peas and carrots stew (bazella)
Start by heating the olive oil and searing the beef. You want to make sure that it gets brown and caramelized slightly. This is the key to adding all the flavor in a beef stew. Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the pot and set aside. Add the onions (if using), garlic and chopped cilantro and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Now, add the tomato sauce, water (or chicken broth) to the saucepan and season it with the 7 Spice (a mediterranean blend of warm spices). Deglaze the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and add the peas. I generally use frozen peas, but you can use fresh peas or drained/rinsed canned peas.
Now you’ll add in some carrots (I sometimes use frozen ones as well to make the recipe quicker). Then return the beef back to the saucepan. Allow the vegetable beef stew to simmer on low covered for at least 30 minutes. The flavor gets even better after 45 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the sauce will reduce almost by half and you can then ladle the stew into individual bowls. Now you’re ready to eat it on its own, but it’s very traditional for us to eat it with Lebanese Rice. You can serve it with any type of rice you’d like, or quinoa, couscous, Bulgur or even cauliflower rice.
Tips to make peas and carrot stew
- Use beef chuck or another tough lean cuts of beef for best results. The tough cuts can handle the long cooking without becoming chewy or melting into the broth. In fact, after simmering for at least 30 minutes, they become even more tender.
- Use a heavy bottomed saute pan for this recipe, they absorb and distribute the heat from the stovetop more evenly, so you don’t get hot spots which can cause burning.
- Sear the beef until a rich brown crust forms. When you sear meat, it caramelizes the natural sugars and amplifies the flavor of the stew. It makes a difference in the taste.
- Use frozen vegetables for convenience. Because the stew is simmering for a while, fresh vegetables are not always necessary here. In fact, vegetables like peas and carrots are frozen at peak ripeness so they have a sweeter taste to them. Plus it’s fuss-free!
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you serve stew with?
Traditional American stew is usually served on its own or sometimes above rice or mashed potatoes. Most stews will have a type of starch, a type of vegetable and beef, which creates a full meal in a bowl. However, we grew up eating stews (yakhneh) with Lebanese Rice, very similar to how curries are enjoyed with rice. For lower carb options, try it with quinoa!
How do you thicken stew?
If you would like your stew a little thicker, at the end of cooking, in a separate bowl mix a tablespoon of cornstarch into one tablespoon of water until combined. Add this paste into the stew and stir and cook for a couple of minutes until it is mixed in. For a more Middle Eastern approach at thickening stew, just add potatoes and rely on the starch from the potatoes to thicken it.
How long does peas and carrots stew keep?
Once you make the stew, let it cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and it will keep in the fridge for around 4 days. The stew also freezes well, just defrost it in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.
If you’re feeding a crowd, good news, it doubles (and triples) perfectly, and because it stores so well it’s great for make ahead meals too!
For other similar dishes:
- Classic Vegetable Stew
- Beef and Spinach Stew
- Fasulya Stew
- Okra Stew
- Peanut Soup
- Lebanese Green Bean Stew
- Easy Butter Chicken
- Red Lentil Curry
- Easy Beef Stew
This stew is such a great comfort food dish, and one I grew up with! I’m sure you are going to love it just as much as we all do! And the great thing about it is that it’s highly adaptable to make it vegetarian, use different vegetables and
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Peas and Carrots Stew recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Peas and Carrots Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound chuck beef trimmed and cut into inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon 7 Spice
- 1 small onion chopped (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen carrots or 1-2 carrot sticks, chopped
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, then add the beef, season with 7 Spice, salt and pepper. Sear for 5-7 minutes until the meat is browned on the outside. Remove and set aside, keep any oil and juices in the pan.
- In the same pot, add the onions, garlic and cilantro cook for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato sauce and deglaze the pot. Then add fresh tomatoes and 4 cups of boiling water to the pot and bring to a boil. Return the cooked beef to the pot along with peas and carrots. Lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Serve over traditional Arabic rice pilaf and sprinkle fresh cilantro for garnish.
Notes
- Instead of tomato sauce, you can use canned diced tomatoes or 6 ounces of tomato paste with 2 cups of water.
- Instead of 7 Spice, you can substitute any mix of paprika, cumin, coriander, ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon
- To make it vegan, just leave the beef out. You can add other vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant or zucchini.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Hi yumna 🙂 if i were to buy frozen peas carrots together in a bag, how many cups would you say to do for (1x) ?
Hi Samantha, 3 to 4 cups would be my best guess. Due to the varying ratio of peas vs carrots in the mixed bags I am really not sure as you do want it to be more pea heavy than carrot.
Excellent recipe! thanks Yumna, can parsley be used instead of cilantro or at least together? have you tried that?
Hi Dan, great question you can use parsley if you prefer. I have not tried them together, but I do use them interchangeably depending on what I have on hand.
I made this today and it tastes and looks exactly as the picture. I served it over the Lebanese rice recipe. It’s warm, filling, and comforting for this last cold week of March in Michigan.
So glad you enjoyed it, Melissa.
Hi, will be making this for dinner this week. Can ground beef be used in place of the beef chuck?
Thanks for all the great recipes.
Hi Nicole, you can use ground beef as a substitute! Hope you enjoy!
This is hit every time, it’s so delicious and easy to make. Thank you for sharing the best recipes!
I made this a few times last year because it is simply very tasty and delicious. I decided to cook it again for my friends today (perfect for the sudden drop in temperature). They loved it. A foolproof recipe and insanely delicious. So good!
I loved cooking this recipe it was, full of flavor and delicious.
That’s amazing!
I made this a few times last year because it is simply very tasty and delicious. I decided to cook it again for my friends today (perfect for the sudden drop in temperature). They loved it. A foolproof recipe and insanely delicious. So good!
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed! Thank you!
Hi. I made this today and not sure what I did wrong. The sauce didn’t thicken and I let it simmer covered for 45 minutes. Was I Supposed to leave uncovered? Is 4 cups boiling water correct? Also I didn’t see mention of adding salt. Thank you.
If you would like your stew a little thicker, at the end of cooking, in a separate bowl mix a tablespoon of cornstarch into one tablespoon of water until combined. Add this paste into the stew and stir and cook for a couple of minutes until it is mixed in. For a more Middle Eastern approach at thickening stew, just add potatoes and rely on the starch from the potatoes to thicken it. Salt (and pepper) is mentioned in step one and should be added to the heavy bottomed saute pan after adding the beef.
I also just made that and it was like soup. Maybe too much water? It was delicious but really wanted to to be thicker.
If you would like your stew a little thicker, at the end of cooking, in a separate bowl mix a tablespoon of cornstarch into one tablespoon of water until combined. Add this paste into the stew and stir and cook for a couple of minutes until it is mixed in. For a more Middle Eastern approach at thickening stew, just add potatoes and rely on the starch from the potatoes to thicken it.
My whole family loves it. It is comfort food for me and nutritious.
Definitely a repeat.
I made this kind of stew on Thursday although I didn’t know about 7 spices, it was so delicious and we ate it again last night.
I used my own recipe which is so similar to yours but now will do it again with 7 spices. And I put it in the oven on 350c for two hours.
Hi Ymmna! This looks great 👍
Do you think I can make it with chicken instead of beef? If so what cut would you recommend?
Is this recipe allowed on a slow cooker?
I’m sure it could be, but I haven’t tested that for myself!
Where can I find the recipe for Middle Eastern beef stew. Cannot get to this recipe from your Instagram post. Thank you. (Love you recipes.)
Here is the stovetop version: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/beef-stew/
Thank you so much!
I made this recipe with 1 pound of Beyond Meat; I tried to brown it really good and it does produce significant amount of juices and flavor; then I followed the recipe and my parents loved it and wanted to know what it was! Thanks
I’m glad you all enjoyed it. Yay!!
You said warm Mediterranean spices, but didn’t specify what. Can you elaborate?
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post. It is listed there 🙂 It’s basically 1 teaspoon 7 Spice 🙂
Amazing
Thank yo uso much!
This is a family favorite, and we sometimes add potatoes to the veg mix.
Thank you!
Oh yeah I love adding potatoes too!
This is DELICIOUS! And so easy to make… thank you!!!
So glad to hear that you liked it. Thank you!
I made your Peas and Carrots stew, and both of us loved it. My husband was sure it was going to taste weird with the spice mix, he actually prefers it to my regular stew! Big thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
Awww so glad to hear that!! Thanks so much!!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it’s one of my favorites! Thank you for creating these recipes, especially the Lebanese inspired recipes. It feels so good to be able to recreate the meals I grew up eating. I hope to make these recipes for my future children one day!
I’m so happy that these Lebanese recipes are helpful to you to pass down the culture to your kids. Thank you so much!
Easy to prepare and delicious in these cold winter days.
Love it
I made this for 15 persons at Christmas and it was a big success!!
That’s so awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
So delicious! Easy and fast to make. My new go to! YUMMY!:
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Monica!!
Love it.
Thank you!
It was so good! Thank you for the recipe 🙏🏻. My mom didn’t put coriander. This version is even better 🙂. Love everything you share and your good energy 💕
So glad to hear that! Thank you!