How to thicken stews

A thickened stew is essential to achieve the best texture and flavor, but it's not always easy to get the perfect consistency while cooking. If your stew seems too watery, don't worry! You can thicken it by adding starches, flour, or by pureeing part of the stew's ingredients. Alternatively, you can simmer it to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavors. Soon enough, you'll have a wonderfully thick and delicious stew to enjoy!

Use cornstarch or starch powder. Mix one tablespoon (5 g) of cornstarch or starch powder with one tablespoon (15 ml) of water, stirring until it forms a smooth paste, and then add it to your stew. Stir until the starch mixture dissolves completely in the broth. Cook for an additional two minutes over medium heat to ensure the starch blends well with the liquid.

Sprinkle some breadcrumbs or small pieces of bread as a quick solution. Add the bread to the stew, stir, and let it soak in the liquid. Check the consistency after a few minutes. The bread has a mild flavor and won't alter the taste of the stew.

Mash some potatoes or add a thicker broth. A simple option is to mash the potatoes removed from the stew. If you'd like to keep the stew loaded with potatoes, you can make mashed potatoes separately by boiling and mashing them. Add a spoonful of mashed potatoes back into the stew and stir to incorporate. Continue adding mashed potatoes until the desired thickness is achieved.

Stir 1 tablespoon (5 g) of oats into the broth. Wait a few minutes to check how thick the liquid becomes, stirring occasionally. Add more oats if it's still not thick enough, but be careful not to add too much, as oats can change the flavor of the dish.

Make roux sauce using flour and butter. Combine equal parts of butter and flour in a clean saucepan. Cook over medium to low heat, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Cook for 10 minutes until the mixture turns a reddish-brown color. Add a small amount of roux to the stew and stir. Continue adding until the stew reaches the desired thickness.

Mix flour into a paste if you want a simpler solution. Combine equal parts water and flour to create a paste. Add one tablespoon of the paste into the stew and stir until fully dissolved. Bring the stew to a boil to eliminate the raw flour taste.

Scoop out a portion of the stew's solids. Use a large spoon to avoid the risk of burns. Start with 1-2 cups, and you can always blend more if needed.

• Although you can blend any ingredient in the stew, root vegetables like potatoes and carrots are the easiest to blend.
• This is a good choice if you want to preserve the flavor of the soup and not worry about the stew’s solids disappearing.
• Be cautious when using this method, as the stew will be very hot, and you may burn yourself, especially while blending. Take your time and remember to use a towel to hold the blender and its lid.

Add a portion of the stew's solids into a blender or food processor. Carefully scoop a portion of the stew's solids and fill the blender halfway. Remember to use a towel to hold the blender, as it will heat up quickly when you add the ingredients.

• If you want to blend more than half a blender's worth, it’s better to do it in batches. It’s difficult to blend large chunks of solid food when the blender is too full.

Blend the stew thoroughly. Occasionally, you may need to pause the blender to stir the food in the blender for even blending. Continue blending until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.

• If your blender has a food-purée setting, use that.

Pour the blended solids back into the pot. Pour slowly to avoid splashing, then stir until the mixture blends smoothly with the broth.

• If you're not satisfied with the consistency, you can scoop more solids from the stew and repeat the process.

Remove the lid from the pot. Continue cooking the stew while keeping the lid off, allowing steam to escape without condensing back into the pot, which could make the stew too watery.

• Remember, this will intensify the flavors, but it could also make the dish too salty. For example, your stew might become overly salty as it thickens.

Simmer the stew over low heat until it gently bubbles. This process requires slow cooking, so turn the heat to its lowest setting to achieve a gentle simmer. Keep a watchful eye to prevent the stew from burning.

• Turn down the heat if you notice the broth starting to boil vigorously.

Stir the soup until it reaches the desired thickness. Use a wooden or plastic spoon to stir continuously. This will help avoid burning and also allow you to monitor the soup's consistency.

• Be careful not to stand too close to the pot, as the rising steam could cause burns.

Turn off the heat once the broth has thickened. Switch off the stove and move the pot to a cool burner or place it on a trivet. Let the stew rest for a few minutes to cool down, stirring occasionally.

• Avoid adding flour directly into the pot. Doing so may cause the stew to become lumpy and lose its flavor.
• Rice flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, or almond flour can be used as a roux base for those who are gluten intolerant and cannot consume wheat flour.
• If you're open to modifying the recipe, adding pasta to your stew—such as straight pasta, elbow macaroni, or shell pasta—can help thicken the dish. However, this might significantly alter the flavor of the stew as well.