Description
This Easy Beef Stew is a hearty and comforting dish featuring tender, well-marbled beef chuck, fresh vegetables, and a rich broth infused with thyme, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Perfectly simmered to develop deep flavors, it’s an ideal meal to warm up any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasoning
- 3 pounds well-marbled beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetables
- 5 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Seasonings and Liquids
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Cook the beef: In a large bowl, season the beef pieces with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 to 8 quart), thick-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the beef all at once and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink and some liquid has accumulated at the bottom of the pot, about 10 minutes.
- Add the vegetables: Add the celery, onion, carrots, and parsnips to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-high. Season with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and vegetables are slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add thyme and flour: Stir in the finely chopped fresh thyme leaves and sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook while stirring until the raw flour is no longer visible, about 30 seconds.
- Add broth and simmer: Pour in the beef broth, water, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the stew has darkened and thickened slightly, about 1 hour.
- Add potatoes and finish: Stir in the cubed russet potatoes. Continue to simmer until the potatoes and beef are tender, about 30 minutes. Season the stew to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Transfer the stew to serving bowls and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use well-marbled beef chuck for the best flavor and tenderness.
- Beef broth can be homemade or store-bought; low sodium broth is recommended to control salt levels.
- Simmering the stew slowly allows flavors to deepen and the meat to become tender.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in a tightly covered container for up to 5 days.
- For a thicker stew, mash some of the potatoes into the broth before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
