Hearty Beef Stew Vegetables (Printable version)
Tender beef cubes slow-cooked with carrots, potatoes, and herbs for a rich, hearty meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.5 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
06 - 2 stalks celery, sliced
07 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
08 - 1 cup frozen peas
→ Liquids
09 - 4 cups beef broth (gluten-free if required)
10 - 1 cup dry red wine (optional; may substitute additional broth)
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
→ Spices & Herbs
12 - 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
13 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
17 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if needed)
→ Thickener
18 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
19 - 2 tablespoons cold water (for slurry, optional)
# How to Prepare:
01 - Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches, browning all sides. Remove browned beef and set aside.
03 - Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
04 - Mix in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen flavors.
05 - Return beef to the pot. Pour in beef broth and red wine if using. Add cubed potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 1.5 hours, stirring intermittently, until beef is tender.
06 - Remove the lid, stir in frozen peas, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
07 - For a thicker consistency, whisk cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Stir into stew and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
08 - Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The beef becomes impossibly tender without any fussing or special technique, just honest simmering.
- Your whole kitchen smells like a cozy restaurant for hours, and the stew tastes even better the next day.
- It's naturally gluten-free and feeds four people for what feels like pocket change.
02 -
- Don't skip browning the beef properly—it seems like wasted time until you taste how it transforms the entire stew from bland to deeply savory.
- The stew tastes noticeably better after sitting overnight in the fridge, as the flavors meld and deepen, so make it a day ahead if you can.
- Cornstarch thickening is optional and personal—some people love it thick enough to coat a spoon, others prefer it brothier and more like a proper stew.
03 -
- If your stew looks watery at the end, uncover it for the last 10 minutes and let some liquid evaporate—better than thickening with cornstarch if you want to preserve the pure beef and vegetable flavors.
- Use beef chuck specifically; it's cheaper than fancier cuts and becomes more tender through slow cooking, not less.