Savory Beef Stew
Looking for a hearty one-pot dinner to warm your family on cold winter evenings? Our Savory Beef Stew is the perfect meal after a day of playing in the snow.
Servings Prep Time
4bowls 15minutes
Cook Time
70minutes
Servings Prep Time
4bowls 15minutes
Cook Time
70minutes
Ingredients
  • 4tablespoons oil (olive or canola)
  • 1pound beef chuck,cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
  • 2 shallotscoarsely chopped
  • 6 cremini mushrooms,halved with stems removed
  • 1tablespoon butter or margarine
  • 4cups beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1cup fresh green beanshalved with strings removed
  • 2 carrotspeeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
  • 115-ounce can whole plum tomatoes,quartered, with juice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 stalk celerycut into 1/2-inch pieces with strings removed
  • 3 medium potatoespeeled and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces
  • cornstarch(optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh parsleyfor garnish
Instructions
  1. Prep the vegetables and cut them into appropriate sizes.
  2. Place the oil in a six-quart pot over medium-high heat.
  3. Carefully add the meat cubes as the oil begins to heat.
  4. Sear the meat on all sides, and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
  5. Reduce heat to medium, and add the butter or margarine, shallots, and mushrooms to the pot. Cook until the mushrooms brown lightly and the shallots become translucent.
  6. Reduce heat to simmer and return the meat to the pot.
  7. Add enough stock to submerge the ingredients.
  8. Add the balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once.
  9. Add the beans, carrots, tomatoes with juice, bay leaf, celery, and potatoes.
  10. Stir in enough additional stock to submerge the ingredients, about 4 cups total. You can add a little water if you need more liquid.
  11. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until all ingredients are fork tender.
  12. Remove the bay leaves. To thicken the broth, mix equal amounts of cornstarch and water together until to make a smooth slurry, and stir into the simmering pot. Do this to your liking, a few teaspoons or so.
  13. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.