Italian Veal Stew Recipe

Enjoy this hearty, classic Italian Veal Stew Recipe that is topped with zesty fresh gremolata. The tender chunks of veal are flavorful and are complimented nicely by the tomatoes, garlic and white wine. This easy-to-make stew is perfect for a weeknight meal on a cold day and fancy enough to serve for guests on the weekend!

If you are looking to warm up your cold winter days or nights, a hearty pot of Italian veal stew will hit the spot. Simmering the tender cut of veal in your Dutch Oven with veggies, white wine and broth makes the veal so tender it will melt in your mouth.

Veal is a delicious and tender cut of meat which has a gentle flavour. This allows it to really absorb the flavors that it is cooked with. It is a popular choice and used in many other dishes as well, such as these Italian Veal Cutlets.

This stew is delicious in a bowl by itself, or you can serve it over a bed of polenta, fluffy mashed potatoes or creamy parsnip puree. It is a versatile dish that works well for casual weeknight dinners or more formal dinner parties.

What Makes This Veal Stew Recipe Great?

• Tender & Flavorful. The cuts of veal are so tender and flavorful. They are perfectly combined with veggies, herbs and broth.
• Great for Cold Weather. This dish is warm and hearty making it perfect for any cold weather days.
• Easy to Make. Just like most Dutch oven meals, this recipe is easy to make. Simply prep your ingredients, toss them in and let them simmer.

Ingredients for Stew

• Veal – boneless veal shoulder is best due to its marbling.
• Salt & Pepper – to seal in the flavour of the veal before seasoning.
• Olive oil – for browning the meat.
• White or Yellow onion – chopped.
• Carrots – peeled and sliced.
• Celery – washed and trimmed.
• Garlic – because garlic is like life in Italian food.
• Cippolini onions – these provide a light sweetness and also caramelize well.
• Flour – all-purpose works best. This is used to coat the veal and thicken the gravy.
• White wine – any type of dry wine works. This adds flavour and helps with deglazing. Deglazing is getting all the caramelized or brown bits off the bottom of the pan which adds flavour and color to the gravy.
• Chicken broth – to add moisture to the stew and create a hearty gravy.
• Stewed whole tomatoes – I like to use one can of stewed San Marzano tomatoes because the stewing process removes the peel. I also like to keep some of the sauce from the can to add to the stew to flavour the gravy.
• Bay leaves – provide a mild, peppery and slightly minty flavour which creates a more well-rounded and balanced flavour.

Ingredients for Gremolata

• Lemon zest – adds a touch of bright flavour to the recipe.
• Parsley leaves – adds flavour, perks up the dish and helps counteract any bad breath from the garlic.
• Cornstarch – used to thicken the gravy once cooked.
• Water – to create a slurry with the cornstarch.

See the recipe card below for exact quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

• Pearl Onions – you can substitute pearl onions instead of cippolini onions.
• Red wine – you can use red wine instead of white wine if desired. It will result in a darker, heavier flavored gravy.
• Beef or Vegetable broth – instead of using chicken broth, you can use beef or vegetable broth.
• Diced tomatoes – you can use diced tomatoes instead of whole, stewed tomatoes.

Instructions

Follow these easy step-by-step instructions to make a warm batch of your own stew.

Step one: Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Step two: Prep your veggies – dice the onion, peel and slice carrots into 1/2″ rounds and wash/trim/cut celery into 1/2″ pieces.

Step eight: Deglaze the pot. Pour white wine into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown or caramelized bits from the bottom.

Step nine: Pour in chicken broth and add in onions. Stir to combine everything. Then, pour additional broth in (if needed) to cover the veal.

Step eleven: Transfer to the oven and cook at 300°F for around 1.5 hours.

Step thirteen: Remove stew from the oven and make sure it is done. If the gravy is too thin, add a cornstarch slurry to thicken. Which basically means adding a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch to a class with a little water, just enough to become liquid and stirable, and then pour the slury into the stew and give it a stir.

Once the stew is thickened and you are happy with it, remove the stew from the heat and serve with a sprinkle of gremolata on top!

Tips

• Properly Browning Veal. Make sure you brown the veal properly. Work in small batches to ensure it isn’t too crowded – otherwise, the veal will steam instead of brown.
• Deglaze well. This step really provides a lot of flavour to the dish, so make sure to scrape up all of the caramelized and browned bits from the bottom of the pan to ensure they are incorporated into the stew.
• Thicken gravy. The stew is done when the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it is not thick enough to do that after 1.5 hours of cooking, you should place it on the stovetop at medium-high heat. Add cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of cold water) and boil the stew for about a minute. This should thicken up the gravy.

Storage

This stew should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no longer than 3 days. It can be reheated on the stovetop, microwave, dutch oven or crockpot.

Or, it can be frozen in freezer bags or an airtight container for up to 6 months. Defrost it by placing it in the refrigerator overnight and heating it on the stove.

Italian Veal Stew FAQs