Cozy Beef Stew Root Veggies (Print Version)

Tender beef and root vegetables combined in a warm, slow-cooked dish full of rich flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
02 - 0.5 tsp kosher salt
03 - 0.5 tsp black pepper

→ Vegetables

04 - 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
05 - 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
06 - 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
07 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
08 - 3 celery stalks, sliced

→ Flavor Base

09 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
11 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - 1 tsp dried rosemary

→ Liquid

15 - 4 cups beef broth, gluten-free
16 - 1 cup dry red wine or additional broth

→ Thickener

17 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
18 - 2 tbsp cold water

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Season beef cubes evenly with kosher salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches until browned on all sides, approximately 3 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to the slow cooker.
03 - Add carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onion, and celery to the slow cooker.
04 - Stir in garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary until well combined.
05 - Pour in beef broth and red wine. Mix gently to combine all ingredients.
06 - Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until beef and vegetables are tender.
07 - In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water to form a slurry. Stir into the stew. Cook on high, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the stew thickens.
08 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It practically cooks itself while you live your day, filling your home with the kind of smell that makes people ask what's for dinner before they even arrive.
  • The beef becomes so impossibly tender that it falls apart with a spoon, proof that patience in the kitchen actually pays off.
  • You can double it without any fuss, which means leftovers that taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step even though it feels like extra work—that brown crust on the beef is where the deepest flavor lives, and no amount of slow cooking can replicate it.
  • The stew will be thinner than you expect for most of the cooking time, but that final cornstarch slurry thickens it into something luxurious, so don't panic if it looks like soup at hour six.
03 -
  • Pat your beef dry before searing—moisture is the enemy of a good crust, and that crust is everything.
  • Taste the stew before adding the thickener, because you might find it's already perfect as a brothier dish, and sometimes the best version of a recipe is the one you make without overthinking it.
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