These kitchen must-haves ensure fantastic soups, stews and more! (Photo: Amazon)(Amazon)
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Spring is almost here, but temperatures are still pretty chilly depending on where you are in the country. I know that I’ve been busy making soups, stews and curries these past few months. A hot steaming bowl is the perfect antidote to cold evenings, especially if you’re feeling a little under the weather. Add a warm blanket and a night of Netflix, and that equals the perfect evening.
In my opinion, there are three absolute must-haves for making soups and stews. The first is a dutch oven. It’s an all-purpose wonder that is great for pretty much anything that you want to cook low and slow. It can go from the stovetop to the oven as well, which is perfect for dishes that need a lot of time to develop flavors, like this recipe for slow-cooked ragu bolognese for example.
My absolute favorite dutch oven brand is Le Creuset. I’ve had mine for over a decade and it’s still going strong! Sure, it’s expensive, but it lasts a lifetime. The cast iron ensures proper heat retention and the durable enamel coating doesn’t require any seasoning or special care; you can clean it with just soap and water. It’s the kind of cooking vessel you’d hand down to your grandchildren. I recommend getting at least a 5.5-quart model for a family of four, or if you like having leftovers.
The second must-have, in my opinion, is an electric pressure cooker. And yes, I mean an Instant Pot. There are lots of models to choose from, but my favorite is still the classic 6-quart Duo Plus. The reason I love the Instant Pot is that it cuts down on cook time — what usually takes hours can be done in mere minutes! Plus there are so many good Instant Pot recipes online. This one for chili verde is super easy and this butter chicken recipe is amazing as well. And of course, you can use Instant Pots for making all sorts of things, like yogurt, cheesecakes and more!
Last but not least, I think a good stock pot is essential. Yes, you can make chicken stock or bone broth in an Instant Pot, but electric pressure cookers are limited in size. Stockpots, on the other hand, come in large sizes, which is essential if you’re making weeks worth of broth at once. I definitely suggest getting at least a 12-quart model, which is roomy enough to put all of your leftover bones, vegetable scraps and more. Of course, stockpots are also useful for other things, like spaghetti and crab boils! Any brand will do of course, but I like this Cuisinart MultiClad Pro. It’s very sturdy with an aluminum core, plus it’s dishwasher-safe.
While I think the aforementioned three options are good enough for most people, I do have an honorable mention: a slow cooker. I know a lot of people love the idea of dumping ingredients in a pot, setting it in the morning and then coming back to a piping hot meal. Plus, slow cookers are a lot more potluck-friendly; you can just leave them on to keep the food warm. My favorite model is this one from Hamilton Beach because it has a temperature probe plus a clip-tight gasket lid that makes it super portable.
Now that you’ve made your soup or stew, how do you store the leftovers? My preferred method is these Glasslock containers. They’re stain-resistant, dishwasher-safe and, as far as I can tell, one of a few glass containers to be entirely leakproof. And, at just $52 for an eight-piece set, you can't go wrong.
But what if you want to store your homemade concoctions in the freezer? I would suggest divvying them up into pints and then using these plastic freezer-grade containers. They’re very inexpensive and don’t take up that much space.
Got some stock to freeze? My go-to is this OXO Good Grips Silicone Stackable Ice Cube Tray with Lid! Yes, it’s made for ice cubes, but I find it’s perfect for when I only need just a splash or two of chicken stock in a dish. Silicone means the frozen stock pops out really easy, and the lidded tray means I can easily stack them in the freezer. It goes to show that sometimes it’s okay to go off the beaten path... at least in the kitchen anyway!
I hope that with the above gear, you'll be well on your way to plenty of soups, stews, chilis, curries and broths for days and weeks to come!
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