Summertime Stew

Summertime for my family means lots of time outside, in nature, camping from the back of our minivan, and sleeping out under the stars with our only cooking vessel being the thing that gives us s'mores and toasted hotdogs for snacks: the campfire. Cooking over the campfire in a big cast iron pot some stew or soup is a staple for dinner in my household while camping because it allows us to make some quick snacks during the day still while having a hearty meal that evening.

One of my favorite campfire stews is my one-pot veggie stew with noodles, and it is super simple to make. The first thing you will want is a cast iron pot with a lid; a fire-safe pot with a lid is probably the essential ingredient in this recipe as it allows you to not only cook this delicious meal but also not ruin your good cookware.

The second most important thing is to make sure you have a good fire. In these first steps, you want to have an intense fire, so fresh after you cook breakfast would be best.

1. Pick whatever protein you want to add.

Our pick is chopped-up venison, but any chunked or ground meat will work, or if you are skipping the meat, then I love it with pinto or black beans. However, I recommend having the beans precooked and having some sort of fat or oil ready to add to help toast the vegetables without burning them. Season your protein with your heart and fry until done.

2. Add your veggies.

There is no beating the fantastic taste of fresh vegetables from your garden, but if you are lacking, that storebought will work. We like to add fresh corn, diced tomatoes, and green beans for this summertime stew. You could also mix it up and try things like summer squash or zucchini. Season your veggies with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder to your heart's content (add a little curry powder for a fun flavor!) Lightly toast the veggies in the grease from your meat to really incorporate the flavors with each other.

The best fire you could have for the rest of this recipe is a low-burning fire, or even just hot coals to set your cast iron pot in. You will most likely still need to add more wood to the fire throughout the day, but it should require minimal effort compared to trying to keep a full fire going.

3. Add the Juice

Fill up your pot the rest of the way with a mixture of tomato or veggie juice and some beef or veggie stock and mix. Let this simmer all day (the more it sits, the better it will taste), occasionally stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom.

4. Noodles (Optional)

About 30 minutes before you want to eat, add some egg noodles (almost half a package for our size pot) and let those cook until done. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top. You can also serve over some white rice for a little bit lighter plate.

This stew is fantastic to start in the morning right after breakfast over the fire and let it go all day while you go hiking or swimming in the lake (make sure you come back to check on it now and then.) Depending on where you live, summer can be just too short. These excellent weather months must be celebrated and enjoyed with the friends and family members you love, creating memories and enjoying nature, and summertime stews like this one-pot veggie stew make it all the more enjoyable. So get outside and enjoy!