Best 5 Light And Bright Beef Stew Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Coat beef with flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, add beef and saute until brown, approximately 6 minutes. Remove beef from stock pot and set aside.
• Add onions and mushrooms to stock pot and saute for 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, continually stirring.
• Skim off fat any fat from the stock pot and return cooked beef to pot; stir in tomato paste and broth. Add enough water to just cover ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Skim off any foam that has accumulated on the surface of stew and add carrots, potatoes and green beans. Cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Stir mixture into stew. Increase heat and boil uncovered for 1 minute. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

BEEF AND LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• Pour flour into a shallow bowl and dust steak with flour. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear beef on all sides until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add more oil if necessary.
• Add tomatoes with juice, lentils, beef broth, rosemary, and browned beef pieces to the skillet and stir well. Reduce heat, cover pot halfway with a lid, and simmer for 40 minutes.
• Add potatoes to the skillet. Simmer until lentils and potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

LIGHT AND BRIGHT BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Generously season beef with salt and pepper. Dust with flour and shake off excess. Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high, and swirl in 2 tablespoons oil.
• Add half of beef in a single layer and cook, turning a few times, until browned in places, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving fat in pot. Brown remaining beef; transfer to plate.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Swirl remaining 1 tablespoon oil into pot, still over medium-high heat. Add leeks and thyme and cook until leeks are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and wine; boil until mostly evaporated.
• Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot along with broth. Bring to a boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook 1 1/2 hours. Remove pot from oven and stir parsnips and sweet potatoes into stew. Cover and continue cooking in oven until beef is fork-tender and vegetables are easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour.
• Ladle stew into shallow bowls, sprinkle with dill, and serve. Cooled stew can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated up to 2 days, or frozen up to 3 months.

CLASSIC, HEARTY BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place beef cubes into a large bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Add flour and paprika and toss until evenly coated.
• Heat oil in an oven-safe Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef cubes in batches until dark brown, about 4 minutes per side. Flip or stir gently with a wooden spoon until all edges are dark brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove beef and set aside.
• Add onions to the beef fat with more salt and pepper; cook and stir until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir until aromatic and soft, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it turns brown and begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up the flavorful browned bits on the bottom. Let the wine reduce until almost dry again, about 3 minutes.
• Add dried thyme, dried rosemary, herbes de Provence, and bay leaves. Add 2 cups beef broth and Worcestershire, stir, and bring to a boil. Add the seared beef cubes back into the stew liquid. Remove from heat and cover the pot.
• Braise in the preheated oven until meat is almost tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven. Add carrots, potatoes, and more beef broth if needed. Cover and return to the oven to braise until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Discard bay leaves. Stir in peas, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme. Serve hot.

SIMPLE BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add meat, flour, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add broth, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, and carrots, then stir in Creole seasoning and basil. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and cook, uncovered, until potatoes are soft, meat is tender, and gravy is thick, about 1 hour.