🥩🥕🍲 Hearty Beef Stew with Carrots and Potatoes
A classic slow-simmered beef stew—rich, thick, and comforting—with tender beef, soft carrots, and creamy potatoes in a savory gravy.
🧾 Ingredients
- 700g–1kg beef chuck (cut into cubes)
- 2–3 tbsp oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3–4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3–4 carrots (chunked)
- 3–4 potatoes (chunked)
- 2–3 cups beef broth (or water + stock cubes)
- 1–2 tbsp tomato paste (optional, for depth)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp thyme or mixed herbs
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1–2 tbsp flour or cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
👩🍳 Method
1. Sear the beef
- Heat oil in a heavy pot.
- Brown beef cubes in batches until deeply golden on all sides.
- Remove and set aside.
2. Build flavor base
- In the same pot, sauté onion until soft.
- Add garlic and cook briefly.
- Stir in tomato paste (if using) and cook 1–2 minutes.
3. Simmer stew
- Return beef to pot.
- Add broth, salt, pepper, paprika, herbs, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and cover.
4. Slow cook
- Simmer on low heat for 1.5–2 hours until beef becomes tender.
- Stir occasionally and add a little water if needed.
5. Add vegetables
- Add carrots and potatoes.
- Cook another 30–40 minutes until vegetables are soft.
6. Thicken (optional)
- Mix flour or cornstarch with water and stir in.
- Simmer uncovered until stew thickens to desired consistency.
🍽️ Serving ideas
- With crusty bread 🍞
- With rice 🍚
- With mashed potatoes 🥔
💡 Tips
- Chuck beef works best because it becomes tender when slow-cooked
- Browning the meat adds deep flavor—don’t skip it
- Stew tastes even better the next day
- Keep heat low for tender, not tough, beef
⚡ Quick 3-step version
- Sear beef
- Simmer in broth
- Add vegetables and finish
If you want, I can also give you a slow cooker beef stew version, a spicy paprika-style stew, or a Guinness beer beef stew for extra depth.
