Easy Beef Stew

It’s chilly again! After a few warm sunny weeks, I’m actually loving the sweatshirt weather. It gets me in the mood for a yummy soup! (Though I think I’ll have to cover my plants tonight…)

This Easy Beef Stew is just that..so easy! And smells divineee. I found this recipe originally on Spend With Pennies and changed just a couple things.

I served this with some sourdough biscuits, and though this soup can definitely stand on its own, serving it with cornbread or a thick crusty loaf of bread would also be delicious!

Here’s my soup hack for small families! This is a BIG recipe, so I made the full recipe and froze the rest in quart-size freezer bags. They are the perfect portion size for a couple easy lunches or quick dinners for Seth and I.

Don’t forget to tag me in photos of your soup on Instagram @thegallagherhomestead! I’d love to see your family enjoying it!

Easy Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/3 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup red wine (from original recipe, we didn’t use it)
• 6 cups beef broth
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 3 springs fresh thyme
• 1 pound cubed potatoes (I used red potatoes with skin-on)
• 4 carrots in 1 inch pieces
• 4 celery stalks in 1 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup peas (I used frozen)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water

1. Combine flour, garlic power, salt and pepper, then toss beef in mixture.
2. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or large pot. Cook beef and onions until browned.
3. Add red wine (if using) and beef broth and scrape browned bits from bottom of pot.
4. Stir in all remaining ingredients except peas, cornstarch, and water. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until the beef is tender. (I simmered about 15 mins longer)
5. Mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Slowly add slurry to soup until the soup thickens to your desired consistency (I didn’t use all the slurry!)
6. Stir in the frozen peas and simmer 5-10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with cornbread or thick crusty bread.

Don’t forget to remove the stems of your fresh thyme!