Stewing is the process of low-cooking proteins, vegetables, and/or other solids in liquid with the objective of flavorful solids; stew is the result.
Stewing is a slow, moist-heat method of cooking solids (typically proteins and non-leafy vegetables) with the objective of the solids—as opposed to the liquid—being the primary flavor components.
This contrasts with soup, where the liquid is the primary flavor component. For details on the differences, refer to the question, Difference between soup and stew.
