Easy Turkey Vegetable Stew Recipe (Slow Cooker)

Jump to Recipe

Try an RV Lifestyle favorite! Jenn Wendland shares her easy vegetable stew recipe that is one of the “most delicious camping meals we’ve ever tried!”…

As you may know, Camping Food Recipes is the sister site of RV Lifestyle, one of the Top 10 RV Blogs in the United States. If you know RV Lifestyle, you know Mike and Jennifer Wendland!

The Wendlands have been sharing their RVing expertise for over 11 years through their wildly popular RV Lifestyle blog, podcast, and YouTube channel. And today, Jenn is sharing one of her favorite go-to camping recipes.

Jenn’s hearty vegetable stew recipe includes turkey, but you can easily convert it into a vegetarian stew or hearty vegan stew. We’ll explain how! 

Plus, we share Jenn’s cooking video that shows how she does it (little mistakes, and all!)

We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases at no added cost to you. Thank you for your support.

It’s a Healthy Stew!

On RV Lifestyle, Jennifer and Mike always stress how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle while RVing. It’s too easy to go into “vacation mode,” indulging way more than you should. This is especially problematic for people who camp often and for extended periods.

​This easy recipe is a great way to enjoy hearty vegetables and a rich broth that’ll fuel your adventures. It’s a comfort food that doesn’t weigh you down!

Easily make it vegetarian or vegan by omitting the turkey. (Just like our yummy taco soup recipe.)

Plus, it couldn’t be easier to make. It cleverly uses spaghetti sauce to make a delicious veggie broth with half the work of other veggie or vegan stew recipes.

What Size Crockpot Do You Need?

Our recipe makes 4 servings, which can easily fit in a 3-quart crockpot. If you want to double the recipe (as shown above), you’ll need a 4-quart slow cooker. 

You can also make this recipe on the stovetop or in a Dutch oven over medium heat. You’ll have to experiment with the cook times, but as a stew, the longer you can let it stew, the better (within reason, of course).

But, we think the best way is in the slow cooker since it gives the stew plenty of time to marinate. You’ll end up with a more flavorful broth that turns it into the best stew you’ve tasted!

Make It In Advance

The beauty of this recipe is you can make it in advance, by doing all of the prep work before you leave or cooking it fully. Jennifer and Mike like to prep the stew at home or at the campsite before a long drive. They let it slow cook while they drive, and have a delicious stew ready to eat after setting up camp.

By the way, Jennifer first discovered this recipe from Zonya Foco’s cookbook, Lickety-Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the GO.  We don’t think Zonya meant “on the go” literally, but it’s perfect for RVers on the go! 

We only made a couple of minor changes to the recipe, but what we like best is its clever hack. Instead of making a complex vegetable stock with tomato paste, bay leaves, etc etc, this recipe uses spaghetti sauce. It cuts down on ingredients, which is ideal for easy camping recipes.

How to Cook It While You Drive

​Jennifer preps the recipe at home or in their RV before they hit the road. She puts all of the ingredients into the crockpot as she cuts and preps them, so she doesn’t need a lot of counter space. 

Then, she sets the crockpot in the galley sink, so it doesn’t slide around while driving. Wrap a towel or similar around it to keep it rattling in the sink.

Next, they turn the slow cooker on, and hit the road! It’ll cook as you travel as long as your inverter is on with AC power at the outlets.

If you need to extend the reach of the power cord for the cooker, only use one of those power strips that have a very heavy gauge wire.

Storage & Reheating

If you make it in advance or have leftover stew, you can store it in an airtight container. Refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. 

Like most stews, this veg stew reheats well. You can warm it up the next day (or couple days) on the stove or in the microwave. 

​Recipe Video & Recipe Card

In this video, Jenn and Mike show how they make this comforting recipe in their campervan. They have a funny mishap, but they prove just how easy it is to make. 

Note that in the video, Jenn is making DOUBLE the recipe that is shared below. We halved the recipe so RVers can easily fit it into their small 3-quart slow cookers, without having the same mishap the Wendlands do. 

Our recipe still makes 4 servings, which is enough for dinner and leftovers the next day for a couple.

*Like this video? Subscribe to the RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel (easy to do right here) and consider “ringing the bell icon” to be notified of any new video from us.

Want to Share YOUR Favorite Camping Food Recipe?

Submit your favorite camping recipe, and it might just become the next favorite among our food-loving community!