Keep reading for the recipe for my Beef + Tomato Stew!

January. Ugh, am I right? The weather is the WORST, the kids are back in school but still virtual, the dog just got neutered but still wants to run like the puppy he is. I’d honestly like to say, “Buck up! It’s a new year! It’s a fresh start!” but I just don’t have it in me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not feeling depressed. Just MEH. It’s the time of year when we don’t have a lot to look forward to for a while. So we go about our day to day, and this day looks the same as the last 313 days (No, I haven’t really keep count. I just asked Alexa).

So we are finding new ways to add a little novelty to our routine. Finding new parks to take the dog to (once he’s recovered of course). Taking advantage of the days with good weather by going to walks and playing outside. Hanging out with family and friends in our pod and seeing other friends in safe ways. Seeing my friends who are in healthcare GET FRICKIN’ VACCINATED. That one brings a lot of joy and hope that maybe this will be over soon and I an stop asking Alexa how many days we’ve been here.

So in the meantime, I’ll cook! I’m really going through all my recipes and seeing where there are gaps, what I can do better, and how to really reach some creative goals I have for myself and for this site. Starting with Beef + Tomato Stew! This is a classic herby, veggie-packed beef stew and it’s just so dang tasty. I’ve made it with leftover roast from Christmas (faster) and stew meat (cheaper) and let me tell you, neither version will let you down! I used onion, carrot, and celery, but this is one of those recipes where you can really use any vegetables you have on hand or need to use before they go bad. Check out the recipe below and give it a try!

Beef + Tomato Stew

Warm and Cozy stew coming your way! This stew is packed with veggies, beef, and herbs. I will definitely hit the spot on a cold winter's dinner time!

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Course Dinner, Main Course, Meat+Fish, Soup, Stew

Cuisine American, dairy free, gluten free, healthy, kid friendly, Soup, Stew

Ingredients

1 lb beef stew meat
Fresh herbs I used 3 sprigs of rosemary and 3 sprigs of thyme tied into a bundle. But use what you got!
1 onion diced
1 carrot diced
3 stalks of celery diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
Splash of red wine or broth your choice
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 Yukon gold potatoes diced
3 cups beef broth
Small bunch kale chopped
2 bay leaves
Salt + Pepper
Olive oil

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
Sprinkle the stew meat with about 1 tsp salt.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the pot.
Brown the stew meat. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your pot. You want to give the meat enough room so that it can really brown, instead of steam.
Remove the meat from the pot.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Sprinkle with another pinch of salt (maybe 1/2 tsp?) and saute for 2-3 minutes until everything begins to soften
Add the garlic and stir it all together.
Use a splash of red wine or your beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the tomato paste and let cook for about a minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, stew meat, beef broth, and potatoes into the pot. Stir to make sure it is all combined.
Add the herbs (bundle of sprigs and bay leaves).
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
Add kale to the soup and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until the beef is tender.