As a kid, we ate a lot of beef stew. In fact, this Hearty Beef Stew recipe was our standard Sunday dinner. Everything would go into the Dutch oven and then into the oven before we went to church and when we got home 3 hours later, it would be ready. We ate it with whole wheat bread and butter and it felt warm and homey. I’ve changed the old standard a little–added some (a lot of) garlic, substituted V8 for tomato juice and beef bouillon instead of just salt. But really, it’s all the same: something easy, nourishing, and delicious that just about everybody loves.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Baby potatoes
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Vegetable juice cocktail – Like V8 or Bloody Mary Mix.
- Condensed tomato soup
- Water
- Basil
- Beef bouillon cubes or beef base
- Black pepper
- Beef stew meat
- Bay leaf – Optional, but adds a great depth of flavor.
- Stew Meat – You’ll also need some lean stew meat. You may need to cut some of the pieces into something a little more bite-sized.
How to Make Hearty Beef Stew
- Cut the veggies–I usually make the potatoes on the large side of bite-sized, the carrots and celery on the small side of bite-sized, and then the onions chopped pretty small because I don’t like them in chunks. But you can do it however you like! Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven or other heavy oven-safe dish with a tight-fitting lid.
- Pop that in the preheated oven for 3 hours, and that’s it!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled stew in and airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Stew freezes well! Feel free to freeze individual portions for an easy meal on busy days.
- Crock Pot Instructions: Follow the instructions as written, but reduce the water and V-8 by about half. Combine everything in your crock pot. Cook 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Soups and stews are often even better when reheated and usually freeze really well. You can prepare the stew and reheat as needed, or freeze individual portions in silicone muffin tins or Souper Cubes for an easy lunch or dinner.
Sure! Potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery are standard stew fare, but feel free to add whatever additional vegetables you like. Mushrooms are a great addition. If adding frozen peas, I recommend adding them at the end of cooking to heat through or they can get mushy.
Sure. Lamb works well in this recipe. I imagine it would be great with wild game like elk or venison as well.
Hearty Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4-5 carrots, medium peeled and chopped
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 1 onion, large, chopped or 2 small, chopped
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups vegetable juice cocktail like V8 or Bloody Mary Mix
- 1 10-ounce can condensed tomato soup
- 10 ounces water just use empty soup can to measure
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons beef base
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 2-3 pounds beef stew meat, lean cut into smaller cubes if necessary
- bay leaf optional, but adds great flavor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉. Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven or other heavy oven-safe dish with a tight-fitting lid. Lay a bay leaf on top (if using), cover, with lid, and cook for 3 hours.
Notes
- I haven’t had great luck making this in the slow cooker or the pressure cooker–the recipe seems to rely on a little evaporation and when I’ve made it using these methods, the stew ends up a little soupy/watery. If you’d like to try it either of these ways, I would recommend reducing the water and possibly the V-8. This has not been tested, so just know you’ll be in uncharted territory!
- Store cooled stew in and airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Stew freezes well! Feel free to freeze individual portions for an easy meal on busy days.
Questions & Reviews
I love that book. I do have to say, however, that the most memorable part for me was how they put the milk in the rock behind the waterfall so it would stay cold. Simply brilliant.
I'm psyched for this stew. Great fall food as we try and transition from Arizona (wonderful) to Chicago (freezing).
Everything I know about The Boxcar Children I learned from a video reenactment my brother did in the 6th grade, lol. Strangely I remember a LOT from that!
The stew looks great. I just got 30lbs of potatoes from my husbands Grandma so I think I'll be putting this on my menu for Sunday!
Shelly, popcorn kernels are all different. Sometimes mine are big and fluffy and sometimes they are small and dinky. I think it's just the luck of the draw. Also, sometimes the sugar comes out darker and that's just fine. Depends on the heat, the pan, etc. The batch I photographed for that post was unusually light! Make it a few times and you'll get the feel of how it's supposed to look at feel, etc.
That was my FAVORITE book when I was a kid too! I read it over and over. And the stew looks fantastic, if I hadn't made beef stew recently I'd put it on the menu for tonight!
I absolutely loved the Boxcar Children books. They were my favorite! This stew looks delish.
I made the kettle corn yesterday and the popcorn was really small fluffs. They didn't get very big. Then the surgar part got a little darker thatn yours. It was yummy and I still ate. Just wandering why my kernals didn't pop very big. Is that normal?
Boxcar Children was one of my favorite childhood books. It's funny that the same scenes stood out in my memories- polishing silverware, building the pool, stew… remember the shelf with all their treasures on it? This recipe just makes me want to go check out the book from the library and read it all in one day while my stew bubbles away in the stove.
I really think part of the joy of using recipes from your website is the stories and "piece of your heart" that you both share. Thank you for not only preparing such wonderfully tasty food but also for making cooking a personal and comforting experience.
Ha, I hadn't thought about the Boxcar Children in many a moon… good times 😀
That looks just like my Mom's beef stew. Comfort in a bowl.
I LOVED the Boxcar Children! I had totally forgotten about it until you just mentioned it..wow. We actually read those in school. Then I got hooked on the Little House Books and then The Black Stallion..growing up I wanted to live in a boxcar,on a prairie with a black stallion:)
The stew looks fabulous, I love stew, the best comfort food 🙂 I never read Boxcar Children but have definitely herd of it, what a fun memory!
Yes! I had the EXACT same reaction to The Boxcar Children. For me, though the books that really awakened me to food were Heidi (I still want to try toasted goat cheese spread on freshly-made bread) and the Little House books.
This is basically my stew recipe, down to the V-8, except I throw in a bay leaf.
I have really been loving your site since my friend Brenda (SAJ) introduced me to it a while back! I've made several of your recipes and have yet to find a bad one. Please keep up the great work! 🙂