This aromatic and hearty pork stew, perfect for cold winter nights, is so easy to make. I like serving it in soup bowls, atop rice, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash noodles.
Stews such as beef heart stew, okra stew, and fish stew are among my favorite comfort foods. Many stew recipes require a lot of work, but this pork stew is easy to make. It's ready in 40 minutes! You can make it with just the meat or add veggies like spinach, broccoli, or cauliflower.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Pork tenderloin: You'll need two of them, each weighing around 1 ¼ pounds. Use a sharp chef's knife to cut them into 1-inch cubes.
- Minced fresh garlic: I use a full tablespoon, which may seem like a lot. But it adds great flavor to the stew.
- Chicken broth: I typically use a low-sodium broth by Pacific Foods. This enables me to better control the saltiness of the stew.
- Canned tomato sauce: I usually use the Whole Foods brand.
- Dried bay leaf: Adds an extra layer of flavor to the stew. It's not strictly needed here, so don't buy it especially, but it does make a difference in the dish's flavor profile.
- Cornstarch: A small amount - it acts as a thickener.
Variations
- Change the liquid: You can use dry white wine instead of chicken broth and serve the stew with the same wine. Sauvignon Blanc works well. Another option is to simply use water. While not as flavorful as broth or wine, the stew comes out great with just water.
- Change the spices: Sometimes, I use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika. It adds a nice smoky flavor to the dish. You can use a heaping teaspoon of garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic, or add a ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to add some heat to the dish.
- Add veggies: During the last 5 minutes of simmering the stew, mix in two cups of chopped vegetables such as small broccoli or cauliflower florets. Other (higher-carb) options include baby carrots or peas. You can also add a 5-ounce bag of raw baby spinach leaves to the stew once it's done. Add the spinach in batches, allowing each handful to slightly wilt before adding the next.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cube the pork tenderloins and season the cubes with salt and pepper. Cook them in olive oil. Add the garlic, paprika, and thyme, and cook them briefly. Add the broth and use it to deglaze the pan. Then, add the tomato sauce and bay leaf.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the stew for about 10 minutes, until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
You can add small broccoli or cauliflower florets five minutes before the stew is done, or add baby spinach leaves at the end of cooking.
Wow! I had some pork stew meat and found this recipe. Just delicious and super easy. I added cauliflower, and it is so good with the pork. I had about 1.2 lbs of pork and just used the regular recipe, and it turned out amazing. I had been planning to make a slow cooker recipe, so I pulled out my slow cooker and discovered a crack, so I had to find an alternative. So glad I found this recipe. Can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow.
Joyce Morrell
Read more comments
Wow! I had some pork stew meat and found this recipe. Just delicious and super easy. I added cauliflower, and it is so good with the pork. I had about 1.2 lbs of pork and just used the regular recipe, and it turned out amazing. I had been planning to make a slow cooker recipe, so I pulled out my slow cooker and discovered a crack, so I had to find an alternative. So glad I found this recipe. Can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow. Recipe Tips
- Pork tenderloin is a tasty cut, but it's lean and can dry out easily, so please make sure not to overcook it. According to the USDA, pork (except for ground pork) can be cooked to medium. There's no need for it to be cooked until it's well done.
- The pork cubes will probably have a small amount of fat attached to them. It's okay to leave it on. There's no need to trim it.
- If adding spinach leaves, add them in batches, allowing each handful to slightly wilt before adding the next.
Recipe FAQs
I use pork tenderloin. It's a lean and tender cut, perfect for a quick-cooking stew like this one. Pork shoulder is an option, too, but it's too fatty for this recipe. It needs to be cooked longer to melt away the fat. I use it when making a pork roast, pulled pork, or carnitas.
While this is true (with some limitations) for a fatty cut like pork shoulder, and assuming you use a slow cooking method, it's not true for a lean cut such as pork tenderloin. That's why I cook this pork stew for a short time.
Yes, but the stew will be thinner. The small amount of cornstarch I use helps thicken it without impacting its flavor or adding too many carbs.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container (as shown in the photo below) in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered (to prevent splatters), in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in individual containers for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this pork stew in soup bowls on its own or atop cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower, as shown in the photo below. It's also excellent on spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, shirataki noodles, or sautéed spinach.
If I didn't add any veggies to the stew (and sometimes even if I did), I like to add a side such as roasted cauliflower (shown below), roasted green beans, roasted asparagus, or steamed broccoli.
My daughter's med school roommate, Con, who is not on a low-carb diet, recently made this stew and served it with rice, as shown in the photo below.
Recipe Card
Quick 40-Minute Pork Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2.5 pounds pork tenderloin - cubed into 1-inch pieces; 2 tenderloins
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika - or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth - or water
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce
- 1 dried bay leaf
Optional:
- 2 cups small broccoli or cauliflower florets - or 5 ounces of spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch - used to thicken the stew
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy 3-liter saucepan over medium-high heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the pork, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer completely raw, about 5 minutes.2.5 pounds pork tenderloin, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Stir in the garlic (or garlic powder), paprika, and dried thyme.1 tablespoon fresh garlic, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Add the broth (or water) and use it to deglaze the pan - scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any tasty bits stuck to the bottom.½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Stir in the tomato sauce and bay leaf.1 cup canned tomato sauce, 1 dried bay leaf
- Bring the stew to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for up to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until the pork is cooked through. Don't overcook it - see notes below.
- You can stir in 2 cups of small broccoli or cauliflower florets five minutes before the stew is ready, or 5 ounces of baby spinach leaves right before it's ready (add the leaves in batches).2 cups small broccoli or cauliflower florets
- If the stew hasn't thickened enough, mix in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 ½ tablespoons of cold water). Cook until the stew thickens, 1-2 more minutes.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Remove the bay leaf, garnish the stew with chopped parsley (if using), and serve.2 tablespoons parsley
Notes
- Seasonings, especially salt, are guidelines. Adjust to taste.
- Chewy meat means it was overcooked. Pork tenderloin is a tasty cut, but it's lean and can dry easily. So make sure not to overcook it. According to the USDA, pork (except for ground pork) can be cooked to medium (145°F). There's no need to cook it until it's well done.
- The nutrition info includes cornstarch and parsley. It doesn't include any veggies you might add.
- If adding spinach leaves, add them in batches, allowing each handful to slightly wilt before adding the next.
- Sometimes I add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the stew for some heat.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered (to prevent splatters), in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers in individual containers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Geraldine cameron says
Delicious. Much better than beef stew. A good change. I’ll give it a 5.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Geraldine, and appreciate the review - thank you so much!
Stanford Waterman says
Does this really only have 1 1/2 cup of liquid?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Stanford,
Yes - but it's cooked quickly, so the liquids do not evaporate too much.