Middle Eastern Slow-Cooked Lamb Stew | Future Meals for Me

Series One

This Middle Eastern slow-cooked lamb stew is one of the five base recipes in Series One of Future Meals for Me, my freezer-friendly meal prep framework designed to help you cook once and eat well all month.

This is the kind of meal I want waiting for me on the nights I don’t want to think.
It’s rich, warming, and deeply comforting, and it only gets better with time, which makes it perfect for the freezer.

If you’re new to Future Meals for Me, the idea is simple: instead of cooking something new every night, I cook a small number of well-designed base meals, freeze them in portions, and then build different dinners around them with fresh additions depending on what I feel like that night.

You can read the full framework and download the shopping list, Sunday prep guide, and remix guide here:
Future Meals for Me, Series One Framework

Why This Lamb Stew Is Perfect for Freezing

Slow-cooked dishes are some of the best meals you can put in the freezer and this lamb stew is no exception.

Because the lamb is cooked low and slow in a tomato-based sauce with spices and aromatics, it:

• stays tender after freezing

• reheats evenly

• develops even more flavour over time

This is exactly the kind of base recipe you want in a freezer system, forgiving, reliable, and deeply satisfying.

The Flavours

This stew is inspired by Middle Eastern flavours, warm spices, gentle sweetness from tomato, and richness from slow-cooked lamb.

It’s not overpowering or spicy. It’s layered, balanced, and comforting.

That flavour profile is what makes it so versatile, it works just as well with potatoes, rice, pasta, couscous, or flatbread.

How I Use These During the Week

Once this stew is cooked and frozen in portions, it becomes one of the most flexible meals in Series One.

Some of my favourite ways to serve it:

• over a jacket potato with a little shredded cheese

• tossed through pasta for an unexpectedly good comfort meal

• as a rice bowl with broccolini and yoghurt

• with couscous and garlic yoghurt for an easy, cosy dinner

• or stuffed into warm pita with a herb salad and garlic yoghurt (my favourite)

Same base. Completely different meals.

Where This Fits in the Future Meals for Me System

This Middle Eastern lamb stew is one of the five hero meals in Series One.

Each hero meal:

• makes around six portions

• is freezer-friendly

• is designed to be paired with fresh additions cooked on the night

I recommend cooking this recipe as part of the full Series One prep day so you can take advantage of the shopping list, freezer grid, and remix guide.

You can find the full system here:
Future Meals for Me, Series One Framework

This is meal prep designed for real life.

Frequently asked questions

• Does lamb stew freeze well?

  Yes. Slow-cooked lamb stews freeze exceptionally well. The sauce protects the meat and helps it stay tender when reheated.

• How long will lamb stew last in the freezer?

  When stored in airtight containers, this stew will keep well for up to 3 months.

• How should I reheat lamb stew?

  Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until just hot. Adding a splash of stock or water can help loosen the sauce if needed.

• Is this meant to be eaten on its own?

  No. This is a base recipe designed to be paired with fresh additions like potatoes, rice, couscous, pasta, or flatbread to create different meals.

Middle Eastern Lamb Stew

Makes 6 serves

Protein or serve 130g-150g raw beef

Ingredients

• 900g lamb shoulder or leg, cut into large chunks

• 1 large eggplant, diced

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 × 400g tins crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup bone broth / stock

• 1 tbsp tomato paste 

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp allspice

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 2 bay leaves

• Olive oil

• Salt, to taste
  

Method

1. Brown the lamb
   Pat the lamb dry and season lightly with salt. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a heavy pot over medium–high heat.
   Brown the lamb in batches until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.

2. Build the base
   Lower the heat slightly. Add the onion and cook until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

3. Bloom the spices
   Add cinnamon, allspice, paprika, black pepper, and bay leaves. Stir for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add tomato paste
   Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute to deepen the flavour.

5. Eggplant + tomatoes
   Add the diced eggplant, crushed tomatoes, and stock. Stir well.

6. Slow cook
   Return the lamb to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender and the sauce is rich.

7. Season + rest
   Remove bay leaves. Adjust salt. Allow the stew to cool completely before portioning.

Freezer Instructions

• Portion into 6 equal containers

• Freeze stew only

• Keeps well for up to 3 months

Overnight

• Defrost overnight in the fridge

• Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave

• Add a splash of stock or water to loosen

• Finish with lemon juice and olive oil

Last minute:

• Defrost in the microwave using the defrost setting

• Transfer to a saucepan or continue microwaving in short bursts, stirring in between

• Add stock or water as needed to make it brothy
  OR

• Tip into a saucepan with a little stock or water

• Cover and heat gently, stirring as it loosens

• Finish with lemon and olive oil