Tender and Juicy Beef Stew
It’s January which means we are in the middle of soup season! We actually eat soup all year round, but there is just something about the winter that makes me want to have a big, hot bowl of soup. This Beef Stew is the perfect soup to eat on a cold winter day. It makes a great dinner or left over lunch. We always do a double batch and then freeze half for later. That way you can either freeze it in individual portions to reheat for lunch. Or thaw a large batch as a quick dinner solution. This is something that we do regularly with all soup.
Skip the Flour
To be honest this is a very classic beef stew recipe. The main difference is that well, it’s gluten free. You don’t even need gluten free flour. Normally, when making beef stew, you coat the beef in flour. In our recipe we skip this step since it truly is’t necessary. We still get a stew like consistency since we blend the onions and garlic with an immersion blender while it is in the pot with the broth. You can also use a regular blender. Trust me, you won’t miss the flour at all and you will still get tender and juicy beef.
Layers of Flavour
What I really love about this beef stew is all of the layers of flavour throughout. Even though we use a concentrated beef stock, which I have to admit is actually pretty tasty. We have added in some other ingredients that layer the flavour in the stew. Apart from the obviously ingredients such as onions, garlic and vegetables, we’ve added, red wine, red wine vinegar, soy sauce and tomato paste. Plus the typical herbs and spices.
When all of these ingredients are combined you get a very flavourful broth to accompany the beef, potatoes, celery and carrots in the stew. Also, don’t forget when you transfer the browned beef from the bowl, back to the pot, to also include any of the drippings that have come off the beef while it rests.
Tender and Juicy Beef
The trick to getting tender and juicy beef is all about how long you cook it for. You will want to brown or sear the beef on a medium temperature so that it doesn’t cook to slow or too fast and burn. Then you will want to let it rest a bit before you put it back into the stew. It will finish cooking once it is added back into the pot. Your intention is not to cook it fully when you’re browning it. Finishing the cooking process in the pot with the broth and other ingredients will give the beef more flavour and make it tender. If you find that after 45 minutes your beef still isn’t as tender as you would like, just cook it for longer. The longer you cook it for the more it will break down, this isn’t a soup you want to rush.
This soup may take a while to make but all great soups do. This is why we always cook double batches to freeze. We make large pots of soup on the weekend when we have time, then freeze half and use them as easy week night dinner options. If you’re looking for more soup ideas that you can cook and freeze check out our Lentil Soup or French Onion Soup. We hope that you enjoy this beef stew as much as we do. It is sure to help you warm up on a cold winter day.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 70 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 1.5 lbs Cubed Beef
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 medium onions diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large Carrots chopped
- 3 Celery Stalks chopped
- 8 cups water
- 4 tsps Beef Flavoured Bouillon
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups red wine Pinot Noir
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch Salt to taste
- pinch Pepper to taste
Ingredients
|
|
- Wash and dry all produce. Dice onions, and mince garlic. Cut potatoes, carrots and celery into same sized pieces. Set aside. Cube beef if necessary, making sure all of the pieces are similar in size.
- Over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot, add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Then take half of the cubed beef and add it to the pot, browning each side. Once done transfer to a medium size bowl, and repeat with the remaining cubed beef. Once browned, transfer to the bowl.
- To the pot over medium heat, add another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Then the diced onions, stirring until they start to soften. Then add in the garlic, stirring it so it doesn't burn. This whole process may take 2-5 minutes.
- Add in 8 cups of water and 4 tsps of beef flavoured bouillon. Remove from heat. Then using a immersion blender (or regular blender), blend the onions and garlic in the broth, until smooth.
- Return pot to medium heat. Add in all remaining ingredient; beef (plus drippings), potatoes, carrots, celery, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, red wine, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir together and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 45 minutes, or until veggies and beef are fork tender.
- Take out the bay leaves from the pot, and serve immediately. ENJOY!