Lamb and Apricot Stew

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This rich Lamb and Apricot Stew recipe served with a lemony herby Mediterranean couscous is just the ticket for colder months.

Lamb Stew Recipe | Recipes From A Pantry

 Confession time.

As a food blogger, I sometimes feel like I should say I make everything from scratch. After all, it’s my job. Take beans, for instance. I feel like I should tell you, ‘Oh, the beans in that recipe? Of course I soaked them for 12 hrs, rinsed them, soaked them for 12 more hrs, cooked them, and drained them. I wouldn’t dare buy beans in a can when they’re so easy to make at home.’

But this is real life, and real life involves ten thousand to-dos before 8 AM. The truth is I absolutely love the convenience of canned foods.

In fact, I don’t think I should tell you how many cans of chopped tomatoes, black eyed beans and chickpeas I have in my pantry. Or how many tins of coconut milk I lugged back home on my last trip to Brixton Market. Way too many to count, but in a very good way.

Thing is, having canned foods in my pantry is very convenient as they are quick to use, versatile and cover tons of options. Their long shelf life means that I am always certain that I can whip up a pantry-based meal whenever I need. This is especially handy on those weeknights when I need some beef and bean tacos or a warming bowl of chorizo and black-eyed bean soup on the double. Same goes for those impromptu lunch drop-ins when a quick chicken and bean stir fry or a bowl of lemony hummus is just the ticket.

overhead view of bowl of lamb and apricot stew with rice on a towel

Why You’ll Love this Lamb and Apricot Stew

There is plenty to love about this Lamb and Apricot Stew:

  • You can easily substitute in any canned beans you have in your store cupboard. The recipe includes chickpeas and aduki beans, but any bean you have on hand will work.
  • It’s high in protein. Lamb and Apricot Stew contains 32g protein per serving.
  • It’s a simple stew recipe with a rich flavour. It’s easy to make, but the sweet fruitiness of the apricots paired with cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and paprika make it far more flavourful than a basic stew recipe. The flavour is even better when served with the lemony herby Mediterranean couscous, which cuts through a bit of the sweetness of the stew.
  • It’s an impressive dish. Lamb and Apricot Stew is easy to prepare, but the flavour has a ‘wow’ factor to it. Have some friends or family over and serve this stew and they’ll rave about it.

canned ingredients used in lamb and apricot stew including chick peas

More Simple Stew Recipes

These cold winter months have me longing for warming and simple stew recipes all day long. If you feel the same way, you’re in luck because I have plenty of simple stew recipes for you to choose from. Take a look at these to keep you warm this winter:

Folk, this rich Lamb and Apricot Stew served with a lemony herby Mediterranean couscous went down a treat. Do try it – you’ll love it too.

Here is how to make this simple stew recipe. Please do try it and if you do make it then please do tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter so that I can pop over and have a look. It is really, really awesome for me when you make any one of my recipes. You can also share it on my Facebook page.

Thank you for reading my Lamb and Apricot Stew post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

Don't forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Lamb and Apricot Stew! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I'd love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

Lamb Stew Recipe | Recipes From A Pantry
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4 from 2 votes

Lamb and Apricot Stew

An easy lamb and apricot stew for colder months.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 658kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

For the apricot and lamb stew:

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 300 g lean lamb cubed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 400 g onions finely sliced
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 300 g can apricots drained
  • 400 g can plum tomatoes
  • 400 g can chick peas rinsed and drained
  • 400 g can aduki beans rinsed and drained
  • 200 ml lamb or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper

For the Mediterranean couscous:

  • 4 tbsp flaked almonds
  • 450 g couscous
  • 480 g chopped roasted red peppers
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped mint
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper

Instructions

For the lamb and apricot stew.

  • Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy based saucepan and brown the lamb on all sides then remove from the pan, set aside and wipe the pan clean.
  • Return the saucepan to the fire and then toast the cumin seeds for a min until fragrant before adding in the onions and garlic and cooking for about 8 mins until soft.
  • Then return the lamb to the pan, add in the rest of the ingredients of the stew, bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a low heat for 1 hour, or until the lamb is tender. Stir occasionally adding a little more stock if necessary.

For the Mediterranean couscous.

  • Heat a frying pan and toast the flaked almonds until golden and then remove almonds from the hot pan. Keep an eye on the almonds as they burn very easily.
  • Prepare the couscous as per the instructions on the packet (I generally add an equal volume of boiling water to the couscous), and when done fluff it and transfer to a large dish.
  • Mix in the peppers, herbs, lemon juice and seasoning, stir well before sprinkling the flaked almonds on top.
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Notes

Slightly adapted from a James Martin recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 658kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1470mg | Potassium: 1138mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1770IU | Vitamin C: 56.3mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 6.2mg

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43 Comments

  1. Hmmm…apricots in a stew…that’s new to me. I absolutely LOVE lamb and would eat it all the time if weren’t so darn expensive here. I see this has a lot of spices so this one definitely has my interest piqued! Perfect choice to serve it with couscous…I like that idea, Bintu! 🙂

  2. This sounds like a really lovely recipe but do you think I would be able to swap the lamb for something else please as I don’t eat lamb? Thanks!

  3. I always have cans of beans, tomatoes and coconut milk too. With the addition of spices there’s so much you can do with them. Lovely looking dish, really warming and tasty. GG

  4. I’m with you on the canned food storage. Cannot help myself but I seem to have enough to cover my little lot and surrounding families on the off chance an an entire snowed in winter!. And I love the combination of lamb and apricot, gorge recipe Bintu!

  5. I always keep a load of cans of tomatoes in my kithen cupboards too. Tomatoes are the base ingredient of so many lovely recipes, especially casseroles. Tx

  6. This looks so hearty and perfect for this cold we are we are having, yum!