Believe me when I say this hearty beef stew is extra thick and extra perfect for winter! This post will share how to make it (so good, you’ll always want seconds).
If you know anything about me you know like my meals to be simple but delicious. And although this beef stew needs a little more lovin' than usual — oh my — is it ever worth it. Consider this a small labor of love. And it's pretty simple in technique. I promise.
First, you brown the meat to develop its flavor. Then, you braise the beef with vegetables in a red wine-beef broth mixture. Finally, near the end, you add the rest of the chopped veggies to keep their character, color, and flavor.
Mmm, beef stew. Can you smell it already?
The beauty of this dish is it gives you back what you give it. The more care you take to brown the meat and follow each step carefully, the more delicious your final result will be.
And believe me, it WILL be delicious. And thick. So let's go to it!
Is This Hearty Beef Stew Healthy?
Yes, we’ve turned this hearty beef stew recipe into a clean-eating version. We’re using lots of veggies packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Then, we’ve reduced the sodium by using low-sodium beef broth.
So we’re still getting rich, savory flavor from the broth, browned meat juices (YUM). Plus the beautiful mix of veggies, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, etc. There is a LOT to love in this stew.
If you’re into hearty and healthy meals, try my Healthy Braised Short Ribs with Polenta!
How Can I Make My Beef Stew More Flavorful?
To make your beef stew as flavorful as possible, make sure to brown the meat by searing it on high heat. This step adds a noticeable difference.
For extra umami, add in some mushrooms. In this recipe, I use cremini mushrooms (which have an earthy flavor and meaty texture).
What else? Really think about what forms the broth. This recipe, for instance, also uses balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, dry red wine, and low-sodium beef broth for added depth and decadence.
Cold in your neck of the woods? Try these other warming dishes:
How Do You Make Beef Stew Meat Tender?
Here are some tips to make sure you get tender and juicy meat in your beef stew:
- Be patient with your stew. Cook your beef stew low and slow for around three and a half hours (it will be worth the wait when the meat melts in your mouth). Chuck roast is fabulous for beef stew and does need time to break down.
- But do not overcook your meat. That being said, don't get too carried away. Once the connective tissues in the meat break down, make sure you don't keep walloping it with heat. Overcooking results in tough meat!
- In this recipe, we've got the timing nailed down. The first 2 hours are dedicated to braising and tenderizing the meat. While the last 40-60 minutes of simmering brings all the flavors together.
Does Beef Get More Tender The Longer You Stew It?
It depends. Too little time on the stove might not be enough to cook the connective tissue in your meat (which adds moisture and brings tenderness). While too much cooking can cause your beef to toughen up and dry out.
So we've got a Goldilocks situation on our hands and need to find a timing that is just right.
As a general rule, don't cook your stew for over 3 hours and 30 minutes. (2 hours and 30 minutes for braising your meat and up to 60 minutes for simmering everything together.)
Additionally, keep your heat on low and check your beef from time to time.
How Can I Thicken My Beef Stew?
A common gluten-free way to thicken your beef stew is to add some cornstarch. I prefer chickpea flour which works well too. I add the chickpea flour as a coat on the beef before browning it in this recipe.
- Another technique I've found helpful is adding two tablespoons of tomato paste and reducing your liquid by ⅔ as you cook. Follow the recipe steps carefully, and you will end up with a thick (velvety even!) stew.
What Spices Go Well With Beef?
Common spices that go great with beef include rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley. Basil, too. But for the BEST BEEF STEW EVER, here are the specially selected spices we're using:
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Tomato paste
- Balsamic vinegar
- Bay leaf
- Fresh thyme sprigs
What Is In This Hearty Beef Stew?
In addition to the spices and seasonings we mentioned above, here are the other simple ingredients you’ll need to complete this superb meal:
- Boneless beef chuck roast: This cut adds insane flavor to your stew and doesn’t dry out quickly.
- Chickpea flour: For added thickness (I like my stews thick).
- Carrots: Loaded with beta-carotene and beneficial nutrients, carrots add fiber and fullness to your stew. Try these yummy Maple Glazed Carrots if you want to up your intake of this veggie!
- Celery ribs: Another way to add antioxidants and texture to your hearty dish.
- Onions: They never fail to add a caramelized depth to your stew.
- Dry red wine: Optional : )
- Low-sodium beef broth: Avoid extra sodium without skimping on flavor.
- Red or Yukon potatoes: For more fiber, nutrients, and texture.
- Cremini mushrooms: For extra earthiness and umami.
How To Store?
Properly store your hearty beef stew in a heavy plastic or airtight container for maximum fridge life and safety. Before covering your container, allow your stew to come to room temp. When kept in the fridge, cooked beef stew can last for up to 4 days.
- When kept in the freezer, cooked beef stew can last for up to 3 months. Make sure to leave some space at the top for when it expands!
More Tasty Soups And Stews
Ready to try your hand at making more soups and stews? You’ve got this! Here are some recipes I think you’ll love:
- 17 Healthy Soup Recipes
- Healthy Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Low Carb Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Turkey Noodle Soup
- Easy Chicken and Dumplings
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Hearty Beef Stew
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon sea salt for seasoning beef
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper for seasoning beef
- ⅓ cup chickpea flour for coating beef
- 2 carrots unpeeled and quartered PLUS 3 carrots, sliced into ½-inch slices
- 2 celery ribs quartered
- 1 medium yellow onion quartered
- 10 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ cups dry red wine (can sub with additional 1 ½ cups low sodium beef broth)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 whole fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 lbs red or yukon potatoes unpeeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 7 cremini mushrooms quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat oil in a large over medium-high heat. Season beef chunks with sea salt and ground black pepper. Pour flour into a shallow dish and lightly coat the beef with flour. Without crowding the meat, brown in batches, turning to brown all sides. You will have approximately 3-4 batches. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Once all meat is browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the quartered carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook approximately 10-15 minutes until well-browned, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomato paste to the pot and mix to incorporate.
- Add balsamic vinegar to the vegetables and stir to incorporate. Cook 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the wine, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Return the cooked beef (and any residual juices) to the pot, along with the beef broth, and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven to braise until meat is tender and falls apart with a fork, about 2 to 2 ½ hours.
- Carefully remove the meat, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Set beef aside and discard the herbs. Using a stick blender, blend the remaining contents in the pot (if you don't have a stick blender, you can use a food processor or blender). This will work to thicken and flavor the stew. After blended, return the meat to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes, carrots and mushrooms to the pot, taking care to submerge as many vegetables as possible.Add just enough additional beef broth, as needed, to submerge the contents of the stew (adding more will dilute the stew since the additional veggies will give off additional liquid) Simmer, covered, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Dara
The most incredible beef stew recipe out there! The only two things I do differently is use brisket instead of chuck and add peas at the end. Thank you!!
kerry
Hi again-
please disregard my question-I just read it through again and I see the main veggies are added at the end after immersion blending-thank you!
kerry
I am going to make this tonight-looks amazing! I have a question-when you use the stick blender, are the veggies removed? I am assuming so because I see at the end to add them back in. Do you remove them from the pot at the same time as the meat after cooking in the oven?
Thank you!
Dan
Sounds fantastic. Going to make it tomorrow on a Cold Monday February 1st. Im sure the family will love it
Dale
This recipe as written was a little difficult for me to follow. My meat came out too tough. Not my favorite recipe.
Boh
Was intimidated at first, but WOW did this turn out fabulous! Knew I had to try once I saw the shout out to Alton Brown
Tim patricca
Truly amazing just fed this to my 91-year-old mother. Said it’s the best she’s ever had thank you very much outstanding!!! It will definitely be on my rotation
karen
I had never made any type y for stew before and decided it was about time. This was Wonderful! I am now a rock star in the stew department thanks to you.
Paul Schwartz
Recipe sounds great. Can't wait to try it. One question: A whole 3/4 bottle of wine?
plasterer bristol
Can't beat this classic. my favorite. thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Simon
Connie
We used Cabernet Sauvignon instead of Merlot but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. We loved it and will definitely make it again.
Lacey Baier
Woohoo! Sounds great 🙂 I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Grace
The search for the "perfect" beef stew is officially over. I ran across this recipe last fall, and completely forgot about it until it was time to make a batch once the weather turned cool this year. I remember making this particular recipe, and remembered just how decadent it was. The flavor profile is magnificent, and it's truly worth the time and effort it takes to prepare. I added a can of sweet peas at the end and it rounded out the flavors, paired with a good loaf of crusty roasted garlic bread - it's a game changer! All my friends have been given the recipe, so thank you again for such a fantastic twist to a long time favorite meal.
Lacey Baier
Oh, your comment made me so happy to read, Grace! 🙂 Thanks for the kind words about this beef stew - it's one of my all time favorite things to eat ever and I'm so glad you agree 🙂
Frank Fischinger
Wow. My search for the perfect Stew is over. I adapted this to a crockpot because we don't own a Dutch oven. I had to use a food processor to grind everything up to make the sauce after the reduction. The veggies were still a little too hard because I didn't bake it in the oven for two hours. I needed the extra grinding power so that I could skip the baking step.
I just prepared the sauce, added the beef, potatoes and carrot and let it cook for about 8 hours. I kept the lid off to drive off the excess moisture, for about two hours, so that the sauce stayed nice and thick. I did everything else, by the book, except for the Mushrooms. My wife hates Mushrooms. This was even better than I expected. Probably my all time favorite meal. Thanks! We did it up with some Yorkshire pudding. I've raided the fridge three times. When I did the first time, I found that my wife had already beat me to the left overs.
Lacey Baier
LOL, I'm SO happy this turned out so well for you, Frank! Thanks so much for sharing how you tweaked the recipe for the crock pot - I've been meaning to try that myself for some time now. I know what you mean- this stew is superb and I'm so glad you and your wife enjoyed it as much as we do 🙂
Monique
I never leave a comment whenever I make a recipe, not that their not good, but I just dont. Well this recipe definitely deserved a comment. I am not a stew person period. I never liked it because it always tasted like watered down meat. It never had any flavor, especially when in a crock pot. My husband bought some lamb stew meat and he wanted me to cook it, so I decided to give this recipe a try. He couldn't stop saying how good it was and I had two bowls myself. I didnt have a dutch oven so i used a regular pan on top and then transferred it to a baking pan covered in aluminum foil. I also didnt have any dry wine so I just added more beef broth to it. I also added sweet peas at the very end. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Monique
Oh BTW this was my first time eating mushrooms andi loved them!
Lacey Baier
oh my gosh! Yes - amazing right ?!? 🙂
Lacey Baier
Wow, Monique - that's so awesome. Thank you for coming back and leaving this comment 🙂
Jon
I have made your recipe at least 6 times and I absolutely love it. The red wine gives this stew such a wonderful flavor. I will be making this all winter, thank you for sharing this!
Lacey Baier
That's so great, Jon! I'm glad you enjoy this stew. We love it, too 🙂
Leslie
Just stumbled across this recipe. This is my new go to beef stew recipe. This came out fantastic! I almost licked the bowl.
Lacey Baier
LOL, I may have licked a bowl or two of this myself 😉
Laura Shannon
I'm so excited. We put beef stew on the menu for Sunday night and then I get home and find your newsletter with a beef stew recipe. It's food fate! I can't wait to try this with frsh, crusty bread.
Lacey Baier
Omg, that sounds delicious, Laura! That's the BEST way to enjoy this stew 🙂
diane
I make a stew very similar, but I put a can of canneilli beans, and butternut squash, and 2Tbs. tomato paste to this. Very good!
Lacey Baier
Ooh, never thought to add in some squash - I love that idea 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Deb
The taste of this stew is ridiculous!! Unfortunately I didn't find this recipe until 3PM...so the meat only braised for 1 hour 45 minutes, also...no mushrooms (grrrr). Did not disappoint however! It's a little step-intensive, but I enjoy recipes that are a little more involved. The flavor building is essential. AMAZING recipe ASPC!! 5 Gold Stars Squared!
Lacey Baier
Oh, and there is so much flavor building with this stew! So glad it still turned out so well for you with those alterations. Never had a recipe have stars squared -- quite the compliment -- thank you 🙂
Jennifer B
Thank you for this recipe. I made this for my family and they loved it. They want me to make it again. However, when I cook with wine, the sulfates wreak havoc on my allergies. Do you think think I could substitute the wine with beer? And if so, what type of beer would you recommend?
Lacey Baier
Hi Jennifer. Sorry to hear about the allergy issue to wine! I've never tried using beer in this recipe before, but porters and Guinness are good ones to use in beef stews. Please share how it goes if you try it. Best of luck!
sheila
My house smells WONDERFUL with the mouth watering aroma of this stew. The taste tests have been above what we were expecting!! We're running low on butter rolls now!!! Lol!!! Thank you for sharing and helping to create a family memory today.
Lacey Baier
This comment makes me so happy, Sheila 🙂
betty
I am in the process of making this. My guys are freaking out waiting while they are at work to come home to this. 🙂
Lisa S
I donot consume alcohol in any form nor do I cook with it. What is a suitable substitute for the Merlot in the Hearty beef soup? Thank you
Lisa S
So, I went straight to the recipe to look at the ingredients before I read your post.....and there it was...non alcoholic choices. But if I don't use those either...what then are good alternatives?
Lacey Baier
You could just use more beef stock instead of the alcohol 🙂
john moughon
I have made this stew numerous times and it is wonderful plus it freezes well. It has wonderful flavor and is so worth the effort it takes.
Lacey Baier
🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback, John!
Beck
I just made this stew today and it was delicious, the search for the perfect stew is over! I cooked it in my pressure cooker and it all came out great, the meat was so tender! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Lacey Baier
You're very welcome. I totally agree 🙂
Jerry Liebler
WOW! Without a doubt the best stew I've ever tasted!
I was a bit apprehensive after reading through the procedure but decided it was worth a try. I used some of my homemade sherry and added 4 stalks of celery, cut in 1" pieces, in step 2 at my wife's insistence, to her it's not stew without visible celery. I also added several cups of water between steps 1 and 2. Next time I make it I'll add fresh green beans and frozen peas in step 2. You are so right it's worth the effort!
Jerry
Lacey Baier
Thanks so much for giving it a shot, Jerry. I'm glad you liked it 🙂
Reggie
I like your stew......but I can't leave things alone....I have added diced tomatoes, canned beans, corn and 6 bean mix as well as turnip....... And will simmer for 12 hours and add more carrot , potatoe and onion a couple hours before serving. The added veggies gives more body to the stew....like I said.....just can't leave things alone
Reggie
Lacey Baier
Haha, I,m the same way. Glad you liked it though 🙂
Chris
Amazing stew! First time I attempted something this time consuming (usually just BBQ everything), but man oh man was it worth it. Full, hearty, beefy flavor and as filling as you would think it would be. Just great. Thank you for the recipe!
Lacey Baier
Yay! You're very welcome 🙂
Kathy Baier
Lacey: Another winner!! I made this wonderful stew today. It was AWESOME! Keep up the good work. I love coming here and trying your recipes. XOXOXO
Lacey Baier
Yay 🙂 xoxoxo
Sarah
Honestly , I hate beef stew . never liked it . I came across this receipe basically just to use up all the veggies I had in my fridge . Came across your beautiful website and decided to give this recipe a whirl. I did exactly what you said to do in the recipe and I was by far amazing ! Like , so good you get an automatic pass to heaven ! Thank you so much for posting this and I'm telling everyone I know about your website , you have re-introduced me to beef stew in a whole new light , so greatful - Sarah .
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Wow, Sarah...I'm speechless. Thanks for the great review, for giving my recipe a shot and now for spreading the word! You just made my day with your comment 🙂
Cynthia
I just made this for the second time last night. Love it. I call it the "4 hour stew". Even though it usually takes me about 5 hours from start to finish, I'm really horrible at time management, haha. Thank you for posting this recipe! It is well worth the time. I figured since my family enjoys it so much that I should come back and give you kudos! Delicious.
Kelley Coffey
If you are even thing about making this dish, IT MUST BE DONE. I've made this a few times and people think I'm amazing and ooh and aah over it. Had small gathering for impromptu day after thanksgiving meal last year and now I've been ambushed to make it for the Tanksgiving meal this year. Thank you Lacey for making me look so good!
P.S. homemade cornbread is perfect with this
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Kelley, you just made my day! So happy to help 🙂
Peris
Hi there, I am wanting to make your stew recipe...however I dont have a dutch oven???? Would it all just be stove top then. I have been trying to "come out of my shell" cooking wise and learn new things but I am just not sure how to tackle this...thanks so much.
Lacey Baier
It could be made in a slow cooker as well as on the stove. Slow cookers will help it braise for longer time frames, rather than just boiling on the stove top.
Susan
Hi Lacey, This is one amazing stew. I am not a very good cook at all. My kids are always complaining that my food never has any flavor. I have been looking for a stew that is thicker (more like a gravy then soupy) and yours has fit that bill. I followed the directions exactly except with one error. I read the balsamic vinegar wrong and put in a 1/2 cup instead of 1/4 cup but after I noticed it I kept right on going and was hoping it was going to turn out okay. I also added a little bit of celery and some pearl onions during step 2.
It has just finished and my daughter just came down for dinner and she said she was skyping with her BF and she was telling him that I was making something that smells amazing. She tried it and loved it. It turned out perfect although I will put the correct amount of vinegar in next time. The smell of the wine and that much vinegar was just a little much for me. I don't like the smell of wine so that was my problem. This will go in my book under the heading MEALS ALL 4 KIDS LOVE!!! That is one hard thing to do to.
I have been looking for a recipe for Chicken and Biscuits or Chicken and Dumplings with vegetables. Again, we like the thicker sauce (just like this one). Do you happen to know of any or do you have one?
Thank you so much for an amazing meal. Well worth spending most of the day in the kitchen. I am sure once I do it a few times it won't take me as long but I was going very slow and it was well worth it. 5 Star Recipe all the way....
Lacey Baier
Thanks so much for sharing all of this, Susan. I'm so glad you all enjoyed it. I have a chicken and dumplings recipe here https://www.asweetpeachef.com/entrees/easy-chicken-and-dumplings/ and it's divine. I hope you like it, too!
Karen
Made this today - it did take a long time but, my goodness, it was sooooo worth it! Great flavor, tender meat, wonderful smell. This is getting added to my recipe box as THE beef stew to make! Thanks!
Lacey Baier
YAY! Love it 🙂
Juliana
The stew has only been in my oven for an hour and it already smells AMAZING! I can't wait to try it! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Lacey Baier
Oh....you're in for a treat 🙂
Jamie
Hi Lacey. My husband Austen loved this recipe. Also a Texas boy, he is quite picky. This was his first stew to try and love. I am looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Lacey Baier
Yay, so glad to hear that 🙂
Heather
This looks so yummy! I was wondering if it would work being tossed into a slow cooker? If not do you have any hearty beef stew recipes that work with one? mmmmm I want to eat this right now!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I'd bet it would turn out pretty well in a slow cooker as long as you brown the beef first. If you try it, I'd love to know how it turns out!
David
Hi there, great recipe, without a doubt the best stewed i've made. This ones a keeper 🙂 Cheers, i'll keep an eye on your blog for recipes in future!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
So happy you enjoyed the stew, David 🙂
Karen
This looks awesome and yummy. Will be trying it this weekend! Thanks, I'll post and let you know how fast it was eaten!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Enjoy, Karen!!
Karen
We all loved it. It was devoured within about 40 minutes. Make a double batch next time Mom! Thanks a whole lot for all your hard work on this site! Will be trying more of your recipes, for sure. 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Glenda
During cold Canadian winters stew is a regular menu item. I just finished eating my Hearty Beef Stew and it was one of the best stew recipes i've made...and I have made many stews! I made a slight modification and left the wine out. I added a little more broth without a problem. It is absolutely delicious and this stew will be served many time this winter.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Very happy to hear, Glenda. Thank you for sharing and keep warm! 🙂
Katie S
I made this stew today. It's so much different from the usual Louisiana stew made with roux, but it is just as delicious! I had to forego the red wine as I am under age so I substituted a little red wine vinegar and added more beef broth. Absolutely wonderful and perfect for this fall afternoon! Thanks for sharing!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
You're very welcome, Katie 🙂
sue b.
I made this yesterday... It is the best beef stew I've had... I was afraid of using so much red wine, so I used less... but it was still soooo flavorful!! I had made beef stew before using the crock pot, but now I can't go back to "that"... this is the only way for beef stew for us! Thank you!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
You are so welcome, Sue 🙂
Danielle Yeager
Hi Lacey,
I found your site through Once a month freezer cooking. Do you have freezer directions for this stew? It looks great and I'd like to try prepping it ahead of time...
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Oh, I wish I did for you, Danielle. We always devour it whenever I make it so I've never had an opportunity to freeze it. If you try it out, I'd love to know how it freezes.
Kitty
Please come see us! We live in the beautiful mountains in Virginia. We picked grapes all day, today and the weather was cool to accomodate us.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Oh, that sounds wonderful! Next time I'm in Virginia, I'll let you know 🙂
Kitty
This was FABULOUS! We raise beef cattle and have a vineyard so this was a perfect fix for our early Fall days. I mean, the best that I have ever made/tasted. Thank you!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Oh, Kitty, I'm so happy to hear that. By the way, when can I come over for dinner? 😉
Delwyn
Hi Lacey, I love this recipe..!
Please tell meause I live in Australia, what is a sweet pea chef..???? it is a mystery to me..
Delwyn
xxx
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Haha, Delwyn. Would you believe you're the first person to ever ask me that?? "Sweet Pea" is a common term of endearment we use in the U.S. and was a nickname my dad used to call me. I also call my two little girls "sweet peas."
So, I decided to call my business Sweet Pea Chef and myself A Sweet Pea Chef :0) I hope that makes sense!
Angie
I made this a few weeks ago. My husband said "this stew makes me love you even more". SO, thanks for that Sweet Pea Chef! This is an amazing recipe. I had to make a few changes based on items I did and did not have on hand and it turned out phenomenal. We will definitely be making this again before winter is over. I also bought a bottle of that FRE wine and I like! Next time I will use that. I had Sherry cooking wine on hand and that's what I used.
Also, congrats on baby 2. Hope your pregnancy goes well.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Haha, Angie! Gotta love beef-stew-induced-love! Thanks so much for sharing -- you put a big smile on my face. Glad you two enjoyed it.
Thanks for the baby wishes as well -- we're getting so close! 🙂
Bob
Hi Lacey, I just stumbled upon your site while looking for good recipes to try out. Absolutely love the vibe of your blog site here. The photos are nicely shot with care & detail to really give each recipe a visual appeal. Simply worded recipe instructions too make it very easy for even novice cooks to understand. I plan on trying a LOT of your recipes & have definitely bookmarked this site & will pass it around to friends; online & in person.
One question I had for this beef stew recipe here: Do you think this would work well too cook in a slow-cooker? And if so, how long would you recommend it to cook in the slow cooker? I just bought a nice big 6-quart slow-cooker & would like to make a large batch of this to share with my parents, as well as my two sisters & their kids ;).
Can't wait to try out a lot of these recipes. I've found your site to be quite resourceful all around so far.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hey Bob! I;m so glad you like my blog -- thanks for all your great feedback.
Regarding the beef stew, I would recommend cooking it for a good 4-6 hours, assuming you are browning the meat first to give it extra flavor. Unfortunately, this is only a guess, as I'm not as familiar with crock pot recipes...sorry. I hope it turns out for you...I'd love to know how it goes.
Thanks again for your kind words!
Kelly
fantastic lacey - we had this tonite for dinner and both licked our bowls! i added some stewed tomatoe's (because i add them to everything) but otherwise didn't change a thing! perfect!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Kelly! Yay -- so glad you guys enjoyed it. Definitely worth the love and energy, huh? I like the addition of stewed tomatoes -- maybe I'll try that next time 🙂
Erika
I tried this out yesterday. It it by far the best beef stew I'd ever tasted. I let my husband have a bite of meat before it was finished, and he spazzed about it and wanted to just have a plate full of the meat. 😛
I like how flavorful it turned out... a lot of beef soup/stews I've run into, I end up having to put in some 'Better Than Boullion' just to make it not seem terribly bland. This needed no such treatment was AMAZING.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Wow, Erika, thank you so much for your great review. I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed it!
Dustin Baier
Hearty beef stew sounds really good right now. All this rain makes me want some and some tasty rolls 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yes, it totally sounds delicious..and with some buttered egg bread buns. Mmmm.
Susan
Made this last week and just now remembered I didn't comment. I have made many stews over many years, I think this is the most flavorful one I've ever made. Thank you so much, I have kept the recipe and will be making this again and again. It has a great depth of flavors and was even better the next day!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Wow, Susan. I'm so glad the stew turned out well for you and that you will be keeping the recipe -- what a compliment 🙂
Kelley Coffey
OMG, the stew is almost done and I had a small bite of the meat. UNBELIEVABLE - the flavor is so intense. I seriously think that it is the best thing I have ever made. Marched myself into husbands workshop and informed him how lucky he was to have me. LOL.
Thank you for creating and posting this dish. Amazing!!!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Kelley! You're hilarious! I'm so glad you like the stew. It's one of my (and my husband's) favorites to.
Eliza
this recipe was great!! made it without the red wine (the liquor store wasn't open), short ribs instead of stew meat, and added some canned le sueur peas at the very end - it was delish! it's all about making it work with what you've got.
it turned out perfectly, so hearty and nourishing.
thanks!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Eliza! Wow, such interesting substitutions! I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
Your beef stew looks delicious! I love the rich brown color and the chunky vegetables. Beautiful!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Betty! Glad you like it 🙂
John
Looks very hearty, although i like to add finely diced potatoes at the start, since i dont use flour. (essentially replacing one starch with another)
In future, you could try using the wine to deglaze the pan just after searing the beef, that way you can ensure a thorough reduction. you should add the thyme when you do this, as its shown to prevent harmful chemicals occuring during the process, not to mention the fragrances it'll produce.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi John! I like your ideas of using the diced potatoes in the beginning and of using the wine to deglaze the pan. Thanks for sharing!
delicieux
This looks like such a hearty stew. Beautiful photos too Lacey. Perfect for the stormy weather we are having today. I will have to file this one away to make for my boyfriend (I'm vegetarian so I might adapt it to make a vegetarian version).
lacey - a sweet pea chef
This stew is soooo good in stormy weather! I'd love to know how it turns out for you if you try it sans meat. 🙂
Zina
Now this looks absolutely, drooly, yummy, good! I'll be making this for an upcoming family visit...your recipes never disappoint and thank you so much for sharing them. ...wishing you and your family all the best and congratulations. Zina
Jessica
I just found your blog on Tasty Kitchen and it's just what I need! So many great, tasty recipes. Keep up all the wonderful inspiration!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Jessica...and welcome! I'm so glad you found my blog too :). Hope to see you around and thanks for the support!
Shari (aka: fruitloopgirl)
I LOVE beef stew and this recipe looks amazing. Will definitely give this a try!
And congrats on your expectant baby!!!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Shari! Thanks for the congrats (and for the tweets!). If you try this stew, I'd love to know what you think. Thanks again!!
Tara
Congratulations Lacey!! The stew look delicious!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thank you, Tara...times two! 🙂