Hearty Beef & Veggie Stew

November 20, 2023

By Anna Varriano

I love slow cooked stews – especially at this time of year. They are easy to make, and you can throw in just about any vegetable you like/have on hand. Get it all ready in the morning and a meal is ready for you when you get back from a day at work … or play!

This stew recipe makes enough to feed 4 to 6 people and leftovers that freeze beautifully.

Note: if you don’t have a crock pot, you can also slow cook this stew in a large ‘oven-proof’ pot/pan/casserole dish (e.g. dutch oven, Creuset, etc) at 275F for 5 or 6 hours. This recipe can also be adapted to work in an ‘InstantPot’ type cooker.

You Will Need:

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  • 4 cups of chopped up root vegetables (whatever you like, e.g. parsnips, turnips, celeriac … I had a kohlrabi on hand so I threw that into the mix too)
  • 4 large carrots, washed or peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 4 lbs of stewing beef – local, organic, and pastured if possible (I had a 4 pound blade roast on hand, so cut that up into bite-sized pieces)
  • 2 TBSP of butter or olive oil (I used a combo of both)
  • 2 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped
  • 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups of beef, chicken, or veggie broth
  • 1/2 cup of red wine
  • 4 cups of canned or fresh crushed tomatoes (drain them otherwise your stew might be too watery)
  • A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • Seasoning for the beef, e.g. salt and pepper to your taste and/or any other spices you enjoy with beef. You could even add a few TBSP of Worcestershire sauce if you like!

Step 1: Prepping Veggies

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  • Put prepped root veggies, carrots, onions, and garlic in the crock pot
  • NOTE: if  you are using an InstantPot type cooker, do Step 2 first on ‘saute’ setting, then add everything else.

Step 2:  Prepping Beef

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  • Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat
  • Season the beef (salt, pepper, whatever you wish – to your taste) and brown in the skillet
  • Once the beef is nicely browned, add it to the slow cooker with the veggies … include all the drippings! You could add a little of the broth to the pan to make sure you get all of the browned goodness off the pan and into the slow cooker!

Step 3:  Putting it all Together

  • Add the broth, tomatoes, wine, and rosemary to the crock pot
  • Turn to high for 1 hour, then to low for 8 or 9 hours (or until beef and veggies are tender)
  • Further season to your taste before serving if necessary

Step 4: Serve

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  • Top with fresh herbs and some fermented veggies (e.g. sauerkraut or carrots) if you have any on hand

Enjoy!

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