Hearty Beef Stew with Potatoes, Carrots, and Peas Recipe
This hearty beef stew recipe features tender stewing beef slow-simmered with potatoes, carrots, celery, and peas in a rich, savory broth enhanced with red wine and tomato paste. Perfect for a comforting meal, this stew is thickened with a cornstarch slurry to achieve a luscious consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Beef and Coating
- 2 pounds stewing beef (trimmed and cubed)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Vegetables and Liquids
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (more as needed)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 6 cups beef broth
- ½ cup red wine (optional)
- 1 pound potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 4 carrots (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 4 ribs celery (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 sprig fresh)
Thickening and Final Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or as needed)
- 2 tablespoons water (or as needed)
- ¾ cup peas
Instructions
- Prepare the beef coating: In a bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss the cubed stewing beef in this flour mixture until evenly coated to help develop a flavorful crust during browning.
- Brown the beef: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Shake off excess flour from the beef pieces and brown them in batches to avoid overcrowding, ensuring a nice sear. Remove browned beef and set aside in a bowl.
- Sauté the onions: Add chopped onions to the pot, adding more olive oil if necessary, and cook over medium heat until they soften and become translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot: Pour in beef broth and red wine (if using), scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, which add depth of flavor to the stew.
- Simmer the stew: Return the browned beef to the pot along with potatoes, carrots, celery, tomato paste, and rosemary. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and let simmer gently for 1 hour to 90 minutes until the beef is tender and flavors are melded.
- Thicken the stew: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Slowly stir the slurry into the simmering stew until the desired thickness is achieved. You may not need to use all the slurry.
- Add peas and finish cooking: Stir in the peas and simmer uncovered for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
- For a richer stew, use homemade beef broth or stock.
- Red wine is optional but adds a deep flavor; substitute with more beef broth if preferred.
- To make the stew gluten-free, replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend for coating the beef.
- Feel free to add other root vegetables like parsnips or turnips for variation.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day after flavors have melded further.
- Cook the stew uncovered during thickening to better gauge the consistency.
