Easy Egg Stew Recipe: Creamy, Comforting & Protein-Packed

If you love quick comfort food, this Easy Egg Stew is about to be a new favourite. Hard-boiled eggs simmer in a simple onion-tomato base enriched with a touch of crème fraîche for velvety, spoon-coating goodness. The cumin adds warmth without heat, making this family-friendly and versatile. It’s an excellent pantry meal for busy weeknights—minimal prep, maximum payoff.

Servings: 4 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | Total: 40 min

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ red or orange bell pepper, diced

• 1 tomato, diced (or ½ cup canned chopped tomatoes)

• 400 ml chicken stock (or water)

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 Tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour

• ⅓ cup crème fraîche (see tips for swaps)

• Fine salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Suggested sides

Pasta, basmati rice, quinoa, toasted crusty bread.

Instructions

1. Boil the eggs (10–12 min)

   Place 8 eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a gentle boil and cook for 10–12 minutes. Drain, cool under cold water, peel, and slice into thick rounds so they don’t break later.

2. Build the veggie base

   Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook a few minutes until translucent. Add ½ diced orange/red bell pepper and cook until softened. Stir in 1 diced tomato and cook about 5 minutes until jammy.

3. Season & simmer

   Stir in 1 Tbsp paprika. Pour in 400 ml chicken stock (or water), season with salt and pepper, and add ½ tsp ground cumin. Cover and let it gently simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it thickens too much, add a splash of water.

   Optional: For a smoother sauce, blend at this stage.

4. Make the creamy thickener

   In a bowl, whisk 2 Tbsp plain flour with a little water until smooth. Add ⅓ cup crème fraîche and whisk until fully combined.

5. Temper & thicken

   Stir a ladle of the hot sauce from the pot into the crème mixture to temper. Slowly pour this back into the pot while stirring. Simmer 1–2 minutes until the sauce looks silky and slightly thickened.

6. Add the eggs

   Gently add the sliced eggs, stir carefully, and cook together on low for about 3 minutes—don’t boil.

7. Taste & serve

   Adjust salt and pepper. Serve warm with pasta, rice, quinoa, or simply with bread. Garnish with herbs if you like.

Tips & Tricks for Making the Egg Stew

✅ No cream? No problem

This recipe works perfectly without any cream—the sauce will be lighter but still flavourful. (With crème fraîche or cream, it’s richer and extra tasty.)

✅ Creamy swaps

No crème fraîche? Use Greek yogurt (room temp; whisk a little hot sauce into it first to temper), sour cream, double cream.

✅ Make it chunkier or smoother

For an ultra-silky sauce, blitz the veggie base with a stick blender before adding crème fraîche. Prefer texture? Leave it as is.

✅ Flavour boosters

A pinch of smoked paprika, chili flakes, or curry powder layers beautifully with cumin.