This homemade Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce is easy to make on a stove-top, and it has rich textures and aromas. It is made with beef cubs, tomato sauce, fresh veggies such as potatoes, carrots, celery and fresh herbs.
Perfect for that solo (or family) day at home during sweater weather, a warm bowl of this Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce will surely put a smile on your face with its delicious taste and healthy ingredients.
Check also Caribbean seafood stew recipe, Gypsy Soup and Spicy Korean-Chinese Seafood Soup (Jjampong).
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Easy Beef Stew Recipe
Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce has been a classic home cooked meal for decades, and with this easy recipe, you’ll surely make this dish a part of your homemade delicacies.
This dish is made up of tender beef and hearty vegetables that are packed with familiar yet delicious flavors. It comes with melt-in-your-mouth beef and crunchy veggies to appease a hungry tummy. Also, if you’re away from home, you can cook this dish that will surely give you feelings of nostalgia.
Why Does This Recipe Work?
This hearty Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce recipe is simple and hassle-free to make. You can make it on a stovetop, but it is also a slow-cooker-friendly recipe that you can enjoy with your family and friends.
This Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce is a very filling meal. It is simple to make but also contains all the ingredients of a balanced meal. It has beef for protein and vegetables for fiber, pair it with bread or rice and you’ll have one the best meals ever.
This recipe is also perfect for those moms with picky kids. This recipe contains vegetables but does not overpower the flavor of the meat, and so makes it the perfect kid-friendly recipe that will make kids and picky eaters eat their veggies.
This is a perfect meal for chilly days but can also be a good stew for any weather if the craving for It hits.
This recipe is very easy to make and does not any complicated skills, ingredients, or pre-cooking preparations to cook up.
The recipe offers up a good serving for this meal, this could be enjoyed by a group of friends or a family.
It might be hard to believe, but this dish gets better the next day! Day-old beef stew allows for all the flavors of the recipe to settle as well as infusing the beef with it (Beef stew should be stored properly to avoid spoilage).
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients that come with this delicious dish:
Beef: Beef is the star of this dish. It is the major protein of this recipe and can hold all the flavors well. If cooked properly, the beef should have a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Potatoes: Potatoes are good starchy vegetables that go well with the sauce of this stew. They also add a creamy texture to the dish.
Carrots: Carrots are good vegetables that add a bit of crunch and color to the recipe.
Yellow onion: Yellow onions are the preferred option in stews. They don’t have a strong flavor that overwhelms the broth of the stew.
Celery: Celeries make a trio of carrots and onions when it comes to stews. It provides aroma as well as flavor that combines well with carrots and white onions.
Mushrooms: They add texture and plant-based protein to the recipe.
Beef broth: Beef broth is the base of the stew and is infused with beef flavors that enhance the savoriness of the dish.
Tomato sauce: A Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce isn’t a stew without Tomato Sauce. The Tomato sauce adds its sweet yet tangy flavor to this savory dish.
Seasonings and Fresh Herbs
Fresh Thyme: It is aromatic and adds hence enhancing the delectable smell of this dish, and it is also a great ingredient as it adds depth to the different flavors of a dish.
Fresh Rosemary: Fresh Rosemary is known for its minty and peppery taste that balances the savoriness of a dish. It also adds aroma and is an ingredient that goes well with proteins such as beef.
Bay leaves: Bay leaves have a distinctive aroma and bring a distinct flavor to savory dishes.
Salt & black pepper: Salt and Black Pepper is used as seasoning for dishes.
How to Make Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce
One: In a large pot over medium heat, add the beef cubes, thyme, rosemary, onion, salt, pepper and water. Cook until the meat is tender.
Two: Reduce the heat to low and add the potatoes, mushrooms, celery, carrots and beef broth; stir with a wooden spoon and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Three: Stir in tomato sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Slow Cooker And Instant Pot
This recipe can be made easily in the instant pot or slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Instructions: To make this recipe in the slow cooker, you have to Brown the meat first, then add onion and garlic and sauté until tender. After that, you can add all the ingredients and cook for about 5 hours on high.
Instant Pot Instructions: Brown the beef cubes in a large skillet. Then add all the ingredients and cook for 45 minutes at high pressure.
Top Tips!
To make the best Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce, you can follow the tried and tested top tips below:
- Make sure that the beef is tender before serving the dish. To check if the beef is tender, get a fork, and you should be able to poke the beef easily. A hard and chewy one makes what could be a great stew, unappetizing.
- Make sure to add the vegetables at the right time. Not all vegetables have the same cooking time, root and starchy vegetables are added at the beginning of cooking, while other vegetables are best added near the end.
- Keeping the lid on while cooking the stew also helps in promoting heat distribution, thus cooking your meat and vegetables evenly.
- Make sure to have a taste test before serving your stew. This is to check if any flavors need more enhancing or if you need to tone down some flavors like saltiness for example.
Variations
- Add vegetables and other kinds of mushrooms to this stew. You can add peas or golden mushrooms.
- You can also swap the beef with ground beef if you’re pressed for time.
- You may add ½ cup of heavy cream to the dish to make it smoother and creamier.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is best served hot. You can serve it with Zucchini Pancakes, Cabbage Patties, white rice or bread, whichever you prefer. You can also serve it with Thai Fish Cakes or Pizza Spaghetti Bake.
This dish pairs so well also with salad.
Storage
To store: The dish contains tomatoes that can spoil easily. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Reheat this stew in the microwave or over low heat on the stove-top.
To freeze: Let it cool completely, then put it in a sealed container in the freezer for up 2-3 months.
Thaw and heat it on the stove-top or microwave before serving.
Recipe FAQs
The best cut of beef for stews are chucks, bone-in short ribs or fatty brisket.
Yes, you must sear your meat before adding it to the stew because the searing of the meat builds the flavor of the stew.
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Recipe
Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 500 g beef , cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 onion , diced
- 2 sprigs thyme , fresh
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- ⅓ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- 3 potatoes , peeled and diced
- 1 large carrots , chopped
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 400 g mushrooms , sliced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 226 g tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the beef cubes, thyme, rosemary, onion, salt, pepper and water. Cook until the meat is tender.500 g beef, 1 onion, 2 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs rosemary, ⅓ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 cups water
- Reduce the heat to low and add the potatoes, mushrooms, celery, carrots and beef broth; stir with a wooden spoon and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes.3 potatoes, 1 large carrots, 2 ribs celery, 400 g mushrooms, 3 cups beef broth
- Stir in tomato sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.226 g tomato sauce, 2 bay leaves
Notes
- Make sure that the beef is tender before serving the dish. To check if the beef is tender, get a fork, and you should be able to poke the beef easily. A hard and chewy one makes what could be a great stew, unappetizing.
- Make sure to add the vegetables at the right time. Not all vegetables have the same cooking time, root and starchy vegetables are added at the beginning of cooking, while other vegetables are best added near the end.
- Keeping the lid on while cooking the stew also helps in promoting heat distribution, thus cooking your meat and vegetables evenly.
- Make sure to have a taste test before serving your stew. This is to check if any flavors need more enhancing or if you need to tone down some flavors like saltiness for example.
Isabella
Delicious! I used pre-cut stew meat to reduce the meat cooking time.
Violet
So good! Used green beans instead of potatoes. Thanks!