Recipes for thick soups and stews

A recipe for a main dish, served with rice: Beef braised in tomato broth and then shredded, "Ropa Vieja," which translates as "old clothes, rags."

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

A recipe for American gumbo with seafood and okra, the soup includes Creole seasoning (see recipe inside)....

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

This light vegetarian dish for a casual dinner is incredibly high in protein, thanks to beans, eggs, kale, cheese, and whole-grain bread. It's also rich in vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

Emeril Lagasse serves this spicy chili over rice and tops each bowl with sour cream and soft avocado pieces....

Patrick and Gina Neely's recipe for this classic dish calls for a glass of beer, black beans, and red beans.

Make a dish like Guy Fieri's, spooning chili over hot French fries. Then you can cozy up in front of the TV and watch sports.

This Italian-inspired dish is made with oregano, fennel and creamy Parmesan cheese....

This complete meal, based on a time-tested recipe from Emeril Lagasse, consists of beef, new potatoes, pearl onions, and green peas....

If you're cooking with red wine, choose one that suits your taste, as the flavor will intensify as it simmers.

Sandra Lee slow cooks beef and adds a touch of dark chocolate for an especially deep, rich flavor.

Alton Brown, host of the cooking show Good Eats, gives the same name to tender beef short ribs with a light apple cider vinegar sauce....

Almost anything left over from a holiday dinner can be used to make this soup. Even turkey bones, which will add a rich flavor to the broth.

Fresh herbs and a pinch of cayenne pepper add flavor and a subtle kick to this Creole-style dish from Emeril Legassie.

This dish is ready in just 30 minutes and is sure to please your whole family. It features stewed fresh mushrooms, green beans, and crispy fried onion rings topped with baked cheese...

To make this hearty and filling dish, gently boil the tender dumplings with stewed chicken. To serve, reheat the canned soup, ladle it into bowls, and top with the chicken and dumplings.

A little sour cream added to the creamy mushroom sauce in which the beef is simmered adds extra flavor. Egg noodles can be served as a side dish.

This hearty dish is perfect for a cool autumn day. The generous amount of vegetables complement the meat, making it a complete meal. Serve with slices of crusty bread.

In this relatively lean dish, Paula Deen simmers beef and vegetables in a meat broth flavored with cloves and bay leaves.

In Trisha Yearwood's delicious bowl of soup, thickened by two types of beans and creamy from heavy cream, a fresh salsa topping complements the chicken...

The finishing touch to this hearty dish, made with two types of beans: white and red, sweet potato and ground chicken, is a pinch of chili powder, added to each bowl,...

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add a smoky flavor to this hearty dish. The chili is made with tender pork shoulder, pumpkin puree, and fresh herbs, and served with a refreshing pumpkin-sour cream...

If you decide to make soup using Alton Brown's time-tested recipe, which uses vegetable broth instead of chicken, you'll get a vegetarian dish that even the most...

Join Giada De Laurentiis in adding pasta to this easy-to-make lentil soup flavored with fresh thyme.

Ina Garten begins this dish by soaking lentils in boiling water to soften them, then adding them to a cumin-flavored broth with carrots and celery. Directly...

This chili dish, made with a simple recipe from Ree Drummond, is made with ground beef, two types of beans, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra heat.

This simple recipe substitutes turkey for beef, offering a variety of serving options: with fresh cilantro, chilled sour cream, and grated cheese. Everyone can choose their favorite...

Instead of using traditional ground beef for chili, Bobby Flay cubes the beef and cooks it in a rich broth, adding toasted cumin and chipotle pepper puree.

With Ina Garten's guidance, you can start the chili without meat, then simply add fried chicken at the end of cooking and serve with your favorite side dish.

Geoffrey Zakarian says you can choose your own meat for this dish. He, in turn, suggests adding a bottle of dark beer, as well as red and green chilies...

To make hot dogs, Tyler Florence adds a little ketchup and mustard to a light meaty chili sauce, spoons the sauce over grilled sausages, and tops them with grated cheddar cheese.

Recipe for chili with ground pork, polenta, and Italian herbs....

Rachel makes scallop and cod soup; this thick, tomato-based fish soup has a long shelf life and is perfect for making ahead.

Recipe for chili with lentils, sausages, tomatoes and pumpkin....

A new take on the Creole dish jambalaya, made with rice and sausage, a type of paella or pilaf. This recipe features a soup-like dish made with fried smoked...

A traditional chili recipe from Bob Plager, winner of the World's Championship Chili Cookoff (WCCC) two years in a row (2012, 2013)...

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.

Detailed recipe for preparing the dish with photos.