Artificial Food Coloring Free Pomegranate, Apple & Sage Lamb Stew
This is the kind of slow-cooked, deeply aromatic stew that makes the whole house smell incredible — warm with Ceylon cinnamon and turmeric, bright from pomegranate juice and tart apple, and rounded out by fresh sage and ginger. The bone-in lamb shoulder becomes genuinely fork-tender after a long, gentle simmer, and the carrots and parsnips soak up every bit of that fragrant broth. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable, which matters when you're trying to avoid the synthetic dyes that sneak into packaged broths, spice blends, and even some bottled juices. Pomegranate juice and apple cider vinegar do the heavy lifting for color and brightness, so there's no need for anything artificial to make this dish look as good as it tastes. Coconut oil handles the searing, bone broth builds the base, and fresh herbs finish it off — clean from start to finish. It's an impressive bowl that works just as well for a quiet weeknight dinner as it does for company, and the leftovers, if you're lucky enough to have any, taste even better the next day.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the stew
- 2 lb bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium tart apples (such as granny smith), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups bone broth
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the lamb pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels, then season all over with 1 tsp fine sea salt.
- 2
Heat the coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, add the lamb pieces and sear undisturbed for 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned on at least two surfaces. Transfer the seared lamb to a plate and set aside.
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