Flavourful Cooking

Nº 82 · Budget Favourites · serves 4

Italian Mince and Vegetable Stew

A colourful, rustic stew of mince and chunky vegetables in tomato sauce: delicious with pasta and rice alike, and kind to your budget.

€8–10approx. €2.00–2.50 ppMild15 min prepLOW 5–6 hrs · HIGH 3 hrsFreezes well
Italian Mince and Vegetable Stew

Ingredients serves 4

Tick off what you already have at home.

  • Budget tip: replace half the mince with red lentils (approx. €1)

    CarniceríaMercadonaLidl

    Aisle: carnicería. Ask for 'mitad cerdo, mitad ternera'; pre-packed it is usually called 'picada mixta'.

  • Any supermarket

    Aisle: frutería. Loose or in nets; purple garlic (ajo morado) is often the most aromatic.

  • Any supermarket

    Aisle: especias. Often labelled 'hierbas provenzales' or 'especias italianas'.

  • Any supermarket

    Aisle: caldos y sopas. Stock comes in cartons near the soups; compare salt levels.

  • MercadonaLidlMAS

    Aisle: aceites. Andalusia is olive oil country: even own-brand oils are good value, often sold by the litre.

To serve

Method

  1. 1

    Fry the mince with the onion and garlic in olive oil until browned and crumbly. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. 2

    Put the carrot in the bottom of the slow cooker and spoon the mince on top.

  3. 3

    Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock and herbs. Lay the courgette on top; that way it stays firmer.

  4. 4

    Cook with the lid on for 5–6 hours on LOW or 3 hours on HIGH.

  5. 5

    Give everything a stir and taste. Meanwhile, cook the pasta or rice and spoon the stew generously over the top.

Flavourful Cooking · slowcookerspain.com/en/recipes/italian-mince-and-vegetable-stew/