There is nothing like a fresh hot beef stew on a cold November day, filled with every fresh vegetable you can find in the produce department. I love it! It warms the house and your tummy. :)
Prep Time: Prep time is about 30 minutes
Cook Time: Cook time is about 4+ hours
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb lean stew beef, cut small bite size pieces
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- seasonings; 1/2 teaspoon each Old Bay seasoning, black pepper, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, & onion powder
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tsp sugar
- 2 envelopes Lipton onion soup mix
- 1 tsp Gravy Master
- 4 Tbsp Wondra
- 6 cups hot water
- 1 large white potato, minced
- 2 stalks celery, minced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 8 oz. baby carrots, minced
- 2 cans unsalted diced tomatoes
- 1 large onion, cut into chunks
- 3 stalks celery, chunks
- 1 lb parsnips, peeled, chunked
- 1 lb carrots, peeled, chunks
- 6 large potatoes, peeled, and chunks
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, chunks
Steps:
- Using a large soup pot, heat olive oil until very hot. Cut up beef into bite size pieces. Salt and pepper beef. Drop into the oil and let it get very brown and sizzling. You will want a nice glazed pan for a dark gravy.
- Mix onion soup, Gravy Master, and Wondra in 3 cups of hot water in a saucepan. Whisk them until the sauce is smooth. Quickly add to your soup pot.
- Add all seasonings. After simmering for at least an hour, do a test taste, then adjust your seasonings to your taste.
- In a food processor mince chopped potato, celery and baby carrots.
- Add water and tomatoes. Stir very well getting all the drippings off the bottom of the pan.
- Add all the minced vegetables. Let this broth simmer for 2 hours. Stir frequently.
- After it cooks, you may have a large enough pot of beef broth that you can take out about 5 cups of seasoned broth and put away in your freezer. That is what I did.
- After the 2 hours, add the chopped parsnips. Let these cook for 1 more hour.
- Then add the chunked carrots, onion and celery.
- About 1 hour later, add chopped potatoes and sweet potato. Cook until fork tender. Stirring gently frequently and carefully. Lower heat and let cook slowly.
- After 4 hours your can turn the heat off and leave it covered. It will continue to cook and rest. The flavors will distribute about the stew nicely.
- Enjoy! This is true home cooking comfort food.
