Easy Classic Cholent Recipe—Traditional Jewish Sabbath Stew

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Easy Classic Cholent is a simple recipe for a one-pot meal with only 5 fundamental ingredients that you can customize to your own taste.

Whether you call it cholent, chulnt, or hamin, there’s nothing like the aroma of this warm and inviting traditional Jewish Sabbath stew that has been warming overnight and has filled your home.

While this in itself is a simple and basic recipe, cholent itself has many variations based on culture and personal or family preferences, including adding kishke, hard-boiled eggs, jachnun, various spices, and much more.

So, feel free to add what you like and make it your own.

A little about cholent

Cholent is believed to have been developed centuries ago and possibly as far back as the Second Temple period and is a favorite at Shabbat lunch in many Jewish homes, no matter what the season.

Since cooking is forbidden on the Sabbath, the stew must be fully cooked before the Sabbath begins on Friday late afternoon or evening (depending on the time of year).

But it then sits in a slow cooker or oven or on a hot plate overnight to soften as the juices and flavors combine into a delicious stew that is eaten on Shabbat afternoon.

This classic cholent recipe is simple and basic, with only the 5 main ingredients: meat, 2 types of beans, barley, and potatoes. Then a little tomato paste and chicken consommé for flavoring. That’s it.

And, while MY family eats it this way (except that in recent years one of my sons has been asking me to add pieces of jachnun, so I do), you can just use it as a guide and add whatever you desire, like everyone does.

Most families have their own variation based on culture or personal preferences and will add ingredients or flavor that others won’t.

Also, some like it thick, and some like it more saucy. Some like more spices. A lot of people add hard-boiled eggs (which turn a shade of brown overnight) and/or kishke.

And not all cholent has the same basic ingredients that I do.

For example, Sephardim or Mizrahim often use rice or wheat kernels and chickpeas instead of the beans and barley. Some people use chicken instead of beef or sweet potatoes instead of regular ones (or they use both).

Two of my sons add hot sauce to spice it up, and two others like it with black pepper (it’s not the way I make it but they’ve had it elsewhere).

However, just because a recipe may be one family’s tradition doesn’t make it a “traditional” Jewish recipe.

A pet peeve of mine is when someone will mislead others and share a recipe as “authentic” when its just their own personal taste (I counted SIXTEEN ingredients in the cholent recipe of one blogger!).

Sometimes, cholent will stick to the bottom of the pot and get dark and a little hard, and for some people it’s their favorite part.

One interesting thing about cholent is that no matter how you like to eat it, it’s specifically a shabbat food. No one seems to ever make it to be eaten during the week.

My family won’t even eat it after Shabbat (as leftovers), even though it’s still perfectly fine, because it just doesn’t have that “Shabbat” taste.

Those who don’t want to make it can buy it in Jewish/kosher eateries (at least in NY). Those same places will often put it on their menus on Thursday nights, and many people will make it a point to go out to eat it.

There seems to be an ongoing argument about whether or not cholent (Yiddish) and hamin (Hebrew) are the same or if one must have (or can’t have) certain ingredients for it to be one or the other. Or that one is Ashkenazi and the other is Mizrahi.

First of all, especially in Israel, people from different cultures adopt food ideas from one another, so there can be quite a bit of overlap in ingredients, and second, I make my cholent in a way that some would call Ashkenazi. However, I got my recipe a long time ago from my ex-mother-in-law, who is of Syrian descent.

So, that should settle it.

Besides being simple and delicious, the ingredients (meat, barley, kidney beans and navy beans, and potatoes) in Classic Cholent have nutritional benefits.

I kind of wing it at this point since I have been making cholent for many years. However, here are some of the things you should take note of (they are also on the recipe card).

1) If you use less water while heating overnight, then your cholent will be thicker. If it gets too thick, you can add water from your urn (that has been plugged in from before Shabbat), but ask your own rabbinic authority regarding how to do this.

2) The ingredients need to be “just cooked” and not soft (that will happen overnight).

3) Many people soak the beans overnight or at least for several hours, but I don’t bother. I just boil them until I can stick a fork through. Mostly, though, I use a pressure cooker to cook my beans, barley, and meat. It usually takes me around an hour and a quarter.

4) I like to wash off my ingredients after cooking to remove the starch, but you can skip this part. The important thing is to have enough water for the cholent ingredients to get soft overnight.

5) The heat overnight should be enough to keep it hot (warm isn’t enough) but not burn. I keep my cholent on the edge of my hot plate (where it is hot but not as hot as the middle) or on low in my slow cooker, but not all of them work the same. You have to know yours.

6) I have found that in the summer if I only keep the cholent warm rather than hot, it forms a gooey, smelly film on top. So, the heat can be a balancing act.

Frequently Asked Questions: Easy Classic Cholent

1. What is the best way to ensure the cholent stays moist for long cooking times?

To keep the stew from drying out, ensure you have enough liquid (water or broth) to almost cover the ingredients before sealing the pot. Using a tight-fitting lid or double-wrapping the top with foil before putting on the lid helps trap the steam and moisture throughout the extended cooking process.

2. Do I need to sear the meat before slow-cooking?

You can sear the meat if you wish, but it’s definitely not necessary.

Searing the meat in a hot pan until brown creates a deep, caramelized crust, which builds a foundation of rich, savory flavor that is difficult to achieve by simply tossing raw meat into the stew. However, I have never tasted a difference.

3. What is the trick to preventing the potatoes from turning to mush?

Cut your potatoes into large chunks. Larger pieces hold their structure much better during the long hours of slow cooking. If you find your potatoes are consistently falling apart, try a waxy variety like Yukon Gold or white potatoes, which are medium-starchy and better maintain their shape.

4. How do I get that typical cholent color?

The color in this recipe comes from adding a little bit of tomato paste to the stew.

5. Can I freeze leftover cholent?

Yes. Let cool off and place in a freezer bag or air-tight container to prevent freezer burn. It should last for months.

However, I would leave out the potatoes because they can get mushy when you defrost and ruin the texture and flavor of the cholent when you reheat it.

6. Can I make it ahead and freeze it to use in the future?

Absolutely. But, again, leave out the potatoes. It should last for months in a freezer bag or air-tight container.

Some relevant cooking terms:

What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?

When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking, though).

The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.

Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.

Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.

What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?

If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor-related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance-related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.

What does “savory” mean?

“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.

Ingredient essentials

I have found that having ingredient “essentials” is great to always have on hand in my kitchen and has saved me numerous sudden trips to the store or having to borrow from a neighbor.

Seasoning and flavoring:

• salt (my recipes use regular table salt)
• ground black or white pepper
• granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
• onion powder
• sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground dried red pepper, while pepper flakes are crushed dried red pepper)
• hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
• ground turmeric
• ground cumin
• ground cinnamon
• ground ginger
• ground nutmeg
• ground cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
• sugar (granulated)
• brown sugar
• chicken consommé powder / beef bouillon powder (regular or vegetarian)
• onion soup mix
• onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion—3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion).
• various herbs
• additional spices to adapt taste to preference

Misc:

• oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
• coconut cream as a dairy-free cream substitute
• flavorless milk substitute as a dairy-free milk alternative
• cornstarch as a thickening agent
• flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs (you can make these with your blender or food processor) for coating
• condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce
• tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes—diced or crushed/pasta sauce
• soy sauce (makes a great flavoring for savory foods)

What is needed to make classic and traditional cholent?

I hardly ever meal plan, and that’s why I keep a cupboard full of seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen to use whenever the mood strikes.

But these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last minute!

stew beef
white/navy beans
red/kidney beans
barley
potatoes
tomato paste
chicken soup powder

(Other spices or add-ins—optional)

Want to try another popular Shabbat dish?

Try Easy Jerusalem Kugel

And don’t forget the challah!

Fluffy Challah Bread
Fluffy Water Challah Bread (which contains no eggs).

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Yield: 8-10

Easy Classic Cholent Recipe—Traditional Jewish Sabbath Stew

5.0 Stars (10 Reviews)

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Classic, simple, and warm, traditional Sabbath stew in it's basic form, but is completely customizable.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds stew beef, cut into 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" pieces or as desired
• 1 1/4 cups white/navy beans
• 1/4 cup red/kidney beans
• 3/4 cup barley
• 2 large (or equivalent) potatoes, peeled (or not), cut into approximately 1 - 1 1/2 inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons chicken soup powder or to taste
• Other spices to taste (pepper, hot pepper, etc.)—optional

Instructions

1. Place beans, barley, and beef in a suitable size pot.
2. Cover with enough water so that it is 3-4 inches above the contents (ie enough water to cook everything without boiling out).
3. Boil beans, barley, and stew beef for around 2 hours (add more water if needed) or until you can just stick a fork through the beans.
4. Add the potato chunks and cook (add water if need be) for approximately 15 minutes or until you can just stick a fork through.
5. Pour out excess water, rinse, and refill with fresh water that is approximately 3 inches above the ingredients in the pot.
6. Mix in tomato paste, and chicken consume powder (and other spices if desired).
7. Bring to a boil before you are ready to place on the hotplate or in the slow cooker.
8. Leave on hot plate or in covered slow cooker overnight.
9. If the top gets a little dry, mix before serving.

(SEE NOTES)

Notes

1) Feel free to change the ratios of the beans or barley or add more potatoes, as desired.

2) If you use less water while heating overnight, then your cholent will be thicker. If it gets too thick, you can add water from your urn (that has been plugged in from before shabbat), but ask your own rabbinic authority regarding how to do this.

3) The ingredients need to be "just cooked" and not soft (that will happen overnight).

4) I use a pressure cooker to cook my beans, barley, and meat. It usually takes me around an hour and a quarter.

5) I like to wash off my ingredients after cooking to remove the starch, but you can skip this part. The important thing is to have enough water for the cholent ingredients to get soft over night.

6) The heat overnight should be enough to keep it hot (warm isn't enough), but not burn. I keep my cholent on the edge of my hotplate (where it is hot, but less than the middle) or on low in my slow cooker, but not all of them work the same. You have to know yours.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 64mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 27g

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