Description
This Hearty Beef Stew is a comforting and rich meal, perfect for chilly days. Featuring tender chunks of beef chuck seared to perfection, slow-braised with aromatic vegetables, red wine, and herbs, then finished with potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms for a full-bodied, flavorful stew. It’s like pot roast in a bowl—rich, satisfying, and irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Coating
- 3 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tsp sea salt (for seasoning beef)
- 2 tsp ground black pepper (for seasoning beef)
- 1/3 cup chickpea flour (for coating beef)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Vegetables
- 2 carrots, unpeeled and quartered
- 2 celery ribs, quartered
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 10 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 lbs red or Yukon potatoes, unpeeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 7 cremini mushrooms, quartered
Liquids and Aromatics
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine (or substitute with additional 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth)
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth, plus more as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 whole fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for slow braising. This sets the temperature for tenderizing the beef later.
- Brown the Beef: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season beef chunks with sea salt and black pepper. Pour chickpea flour into a shallow dish and lightly coat beef pieces. In batches, brown the beef on all sides without overcrowding to develop a rich crust. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Reduce heat to medium. Add quartered carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well-browned and fragrant, which builds depth in flavor.
- Add Tomato Paste: Stir in tomato paste and cook briefly to incorporate its rich, concentrated flavor with the vegetables.
- Deglaze the Pot: Pour in balsamic vinegar, stirring to scrape up browned bits and combine flavors. Cook for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add Wine and Herbs: Pour in red wine, add bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors and reduce the wine slightly.
- Braise the Beef: Return the browned beef and any juices back into the pot. Add beef broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise the stew until the beef is tender and easily falls apart, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove Herbs and Blend Sauce: Carefully remove the beef, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf from the pot. Set the beef aside. Using a stick blender, blend the remaining liquid and vegetables directly in the pot until thickened and flavorful. If no stick blender is available, transfer to a food processor or blender.
- Combine Meat and Boil: Return the beef chunks to the pot with the blended sauce and bring to a boil on the stovetop.
- Add Remaining Vegetables: Add the potatoes, sliced carrots, and quartered mushrooms. Submerge as many vegetables as possible. Add just enough additional beef broth to cover contents without diluting flavors. Cover and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender, 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
- This stew is especially hearty and satisfying—just like a pot roast served in a bowl.
- You may want seconds, but one generous bowl will likely leave you happily full.
- Using chickpea flour for coating the beef helps to thicken the stew naturally.
- Red wine adds depth, but can be substituted with additional beef broth for a milder flavor.
- Blending part of the stew helps develop a thick, luscious sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 630
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 891 mg
- Fat: 32.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 12.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.4 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 38.5 g
- Cholesterol: 116 mg
