Easy Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew — A EASY stovetop recipe that features succulent pieces of beef with tender carrots and potatoes, all coated in a rich gravy! Make this COMFORT FOOD classic all winter long. It’s a simple recipe with minimal ingredients and very little hands on prep that the whole family will adore!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound beef stew meat* (diced into 1/2-inch chunks (which is a mixture of Chuck roast and round roast, or use either of those cuts))
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 medium red onion (sliced into thin strips (yellow or sweet Vidalia onions may be substituted))
• 3 to 5 garlic cloves (finely minced)
• 1 cup reduced sodium beef broth (plus more if desired)
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 celery stalks (chopped coarsely into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 2 medium carrots (peeled and chopped coarsely into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 2 medium potatoes* (peeled and chopped coarsely into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1To a large bowl, add the beef chunks, flour, and stir and toss to coat evenly. Tip - Make sure it's evenly coated because this bit of flour helps thicken the stew.
2. 2To a large Dutch oven or pot, add the butter and heat over medium-high heat and swirl the pan or stir it to encourage the butter to melt.
3. 3As the butter is melting, add the coated beef chunks and sear for about 5 minutes, flipping intermittently to ensure even searing on all sides. Remove the seared beef chunks and set aside on a plate or even in the bowl you tossed them in with the flour.
4. 4To the Dutch oven, add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften; stir frequently.
5. 5Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly constantly.
6. 6Deglaze the pot by adding the beef broth and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon or something that won't scratch your pot. Note - When deglazing, a lot of steam will form so stand back a bit as you're adding the broth.
7. 7Add the tomato sauce and paste, and stir to combine.
8. 8Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, salt, pepper, return the seared beef to the Dutch oven, and stir to combine.
9. 9Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the stew simmer for about 90 minutes, or until the meat is tender, and the vegetables are cooked through and tender, but not mushy. Stir occasionally as it simmers. Tips - Pay attention to the flame or burner heat and if they soup is boiling too rapidly, make sure to adjust it down a bit. The goal here is low and slow, not too fast, because low heat and a long simmer time are keys to developing the rich, tender texture of the beef and vegetables.
10. 10After everything is tender and cooked through, taste the soup for seasoning balance. Seasoning Tips - Chances are you will want to add additional salt. If the soup tastes at all flat, boring, or like it's missing something, you'll likely want to add salt which is key to balancing the flavors of the pounds-worth of plain vegetables and meat in the stew. Additional pepper may also be necessary, if desired.
11. 11Broth Level and Stew Thickness - If at any time during the simmering process you notice the level of broth is too low, or you prefer a more brothy stew, add up to 1/2 to 1 cup additional broth, or as desired, adding 1/2 cup at a time. If the stew has too much broth or you want to thicken it up (I doubt this will be an issue as there's only 1 cup broth called for), but the easiest way to do this is at the end to uncover the pot, turn up the heat, and let it boil fast so and some of the volume of the broth will evaporate. You can also create a slurry by mixing about 1 to 2 tablespoons flour with 1 to 2 tablespoons water, and adding it. After adding the slurry, you'll need to keep stirring and stirring, until the stew has thickened as desired and the raw flour taste is cooked off.
12. 12Serve the stew with rice, noodles, with neither, or as desired. Stew will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer or up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or as desired.