I haven’t decided yet if it should be crockpot or crock pot. I’ve seen both spellings in different online dictionaries, but my spellchecker doesn’t like crockpot, so I think I’ll go with crock pot, what do you think? Anyway, this crock pot stew recipe is so simple to make and pretty tasty. It’s a Greek stew that uses the chopped butternut squash from Wednesday’s tutorial. My favorite part of the recipe was left out of the photo above, and it’s the feta sprinkled over the top at the end. Whoops!
There you go, there’s the feta! Did you notice the other difference? In the top photo, the stew is over couscous, and in the photo above it’s over rice. That’s because this is a pretty versatile stew. You can serve it over rice, egg noodles, couscous, or quinoa. I like it with couscous the best, but the texture of couscous makes Eric gag, so I give it to him over rice!
This stew is SO good for you with butternut squash, carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and zucchini. It’s a great way to get plenty of vegetables, and full of such great textures you don’t even notice that it’s meatless. I’m hoping it’s giving my immune system a boost. I’ve been horribly sick for several weeks. I noticed last year that every February since I moved here, I have to go to the hospital. One year it was mono, last year I needed several IVs because I couldn’t keep anything down. This year it seems to be bronchitis. I’ve started getting this horrible sound in my chest when I breathe, I’m calling it my death rattle. Is that morbid or what?
I’m going back to the doctor today so hopefully I’ll get this kicked soon. I tweeted the other day that it feels like someone shoved a microplane grater down my throat. I’ve been coughing so much my throat is raw, my voice is gone, and I think my back muscles have doubled in size! Anyway, enough complaining. I’m eating tons of healthy soups and stews (when I can eat) and filling my body with all those illness fighting nutrients it needs.
What are your secret recipes for fighting off those nasty bugs?
Greek Crockpot Stew Recipe
serves 10Ingredients
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 cup zucchini, chopped
3 large carrots chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups hot cooked couscous
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Combine squash through pepper in a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker, mix well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, until vegetables are easily pierced with a fork. Serve over couscous, rice, or other starches and sprinkle with feta cheese.
Approximate cost/serving: The vegetables come out to about $4, making your own stock is cheapest, but if you buy the stock it comes out to about $7 for the stew. Add in couscous (from the bulk bins) and feta, and it’s about $8.50 total. Sounds like a lot, but for 10 servings that’s only 85 cents a serving!
Vegetarian/Gluten Free: Totally vegetarian, as far as gluten goes, serve it over white or brown rice (not couscous!). Also read your canned good’s labels to make sure they’re safe. All mine were gluten free but it’s important to check.
Diana,
Looks great! I was wondering if you were going to make soup out of it! I do think crock pot is two words, but I spell it both ways depending on my mood. I also think it’s capitalized because it is a brand name.
woohoo…another crockpot recipe i can add to the list.
Does the squash go in raw or already baked?
Great question Bob, the squash goes in raw and softens as the stew cooks.
Yum Yum when does the CSA start?
I know I’m way late to the post, but I can’t resist commenting.
CrockPot is actually a registered trademark (like Kleenex or Xerox). Everything is considered a slow cooker.
You’re so right Amanda! Like Band-Aids, Velcro, etc the brand Crockpot has become synonymous with the slow cooker.
Yum look so good
You asked what our secret recipe for fighting nasty bugs, here’s ours. We put about 5 drops of grapefruit seed extract in about 2 oz water, stir and gargle and spit till it’s almost gone then just swallow the last amount….2x daily. At the same time we put a very small amount of tea tree oil in another 2 oz water dip in a Q-tip and snort each nostril. We keep that in the bathroom so that every time we wash our hands, we snort until everything is cleared up. If you get it early, it usually doesn’t materialize into anything. If not, then it can take a couple of days but we never go into the need for antibiotics, thank God!
Oooh, sounds like something to try. Thanks Debi!
Was wondering if you smoke?Hope not..If I walk thru cigarrette smoke thats thick outside stores or restaurants I get bronchitis which goes into pneumonia because Im highly allergic to smoke…I now take vitamin c..drink lots! of water,drink only t broth from chicken noodle soup…somehow it works..vitamin c x 1000 mg til its (sickness) gone
I don’t, I react pretty strongly to it as well. Vitamin C is awesome!
Hi Diana. I’m cooking this stew right now in my crockpot. There’s an hour and 15 still to go before the 7 hour mark. My concern is that mine currently has so much liquid still in it… will this eventually evaporate or am I supposed to just go with it and strain each ladle of stew as I scoop it out? Anything I can do to thicken it up a bit?
By the way… I’ve just discovered your site and love the classes that you provide in your community. Truly a leader and that is nice to see. Your recipes also look amazing. I’m a vegetarian and love that you include some vegetarian recipes in your blog, all of which look amazing. i’ve flagged a few of them to try over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us.
Hi Jackie, thanks so much for your kind words! It’s been a while since I’ve made this so I’m going by my somewhat faulty memory. I don’t remember it being very liquidy since there are only 2 cups of stock, but by the time it reaches 8 or 9 hours I’m betting it will have evaporated more. I do like it over rice or couscous to kind of soak up whatever liquid is left as well. Hope that helps!
Just out of curiosity, is this an authentic ethnic Greek recipe? The spice combination sounds so good and I’m going to try it!
Great question! It’s typical ingredients and flavors that are used in traditional Greek food but not a traditional Greek recipe as far as I know. Does that make sense?
OK thanks! Spices are everything 🙂
Love this recipe! I’ve made it once before, and will be making it again (double portion) for a group at our church for a luncheon this weekend. My question is – should I start it on low the night before? It would be cooking for about 12 hours by the time it gets served if I do. Or should I start it early in the morning, so it cooks for about 3-4 hours, on high?
One more thing… I have a 5-quart crockpot, but would like to double the recipe (feeding 20 people). Do you think this will work, or do I need to find a second or larger crockpot?
This sounded so good but the result was so disappointing. Made it for my daughters family because they have a new baby, need help now and unlike us, they are vegetarians. It was so soupy, nothing like stew and I was told the spices didn’t flavor it enough. The ingredients sound delish together so I’m going to try it again, change up the liquids and double the spices. Darn.