Vegetable Beef Stew
This Vegetable Beef Stew makes a savory weeknight dinner in one bowl. Packed with veggies and tender beef, it's wrapped in a seasoned, thick broth that's hard to resist. It's one of my favorite classic dinner recipes I keep in my back pocket for those nights I want something hearty and filling.
📌 Quick Glance Vegetable Beef Stew
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Savory, rich, and tomato-forward with deep beefy flavor and herby notes from Italian seasoning and rosemary
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (15 minutes prep + 1 hour 25 minutes cook time)
- 🥄 Texture: Tender, slow-simmered beef with soft potatoes and vegetables in a thick, hearty broth
- 👩🍳 Best For: Cozy family dinners, meal prep for the week, or feeding a crowd (8-10 servings)
- 💡 Pro Tip: Taste and adjust salt at the end-between the broth and bouillon, the salt level can vary quite a bit
Summarize & Save This Content On
This vegetable beef stew recipe is pure comfort, just like my unstuffed cabbage soup. Made with celery, onion, carrots, and beans, this stew is simmered in an herby broth for the perfect taste.
The result is melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef wrapped in a cozy brothy base that warms you up from the inside out, similar to my Philly cheesesteak soup. Plus, it tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for leftovers!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Flavorful: This beef and veggie stew builds flavor right from the start. We start by browning the beef to seal in its juices. Then we use both beef broth and bouillon cube to enhance the flavor.
- Veggie Packed: This isn't your typical stew; it has two times more vegetables, which means it's not only filling but nourishing too.
- Ideal Texture: The beef stew vegetables are added in intervals, just like my Irish beef stew, so that nothing comes out too soft.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: You can make the stew recipe in advance and either store it in the fridge or freeze it, making it a huge time saver in the kitchen on busy days.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Stew meat: Stew meat comes from well-worked cuts that need time to soften, which makes it perfect for low-and-slow cooking like this stew recipe. You can also use a chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes-it'll still turn out great, just a touch firmer. Try to skip lean cuts like round roast if possible, since they're more likely to dry out instead of becoming tender.
- Beef broth: Try to use a low-sodium broth for better control over the saltiness of the broth.
- Crushed tomatoes: You can use both seasoned crushed tomatoes or plain ones, and then adjust the taste of the stew later on.
- Yellow potatoes: These potatoes tend to hold their texture the best once simmered. Cut them into 1-inch cubes so that they all cook evenly.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetables: Any frozen or fresh vegetables, such as mixed vegetables, parsnips, sweet potatoes, cabbage, or zucchini, can be worked into a stew recipe. Feel free to use what you have on hand, just like in this hamburger soup recipe.
- Gluten-free: If you need to make this veggie beef stew gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour for thickening and double-check that your broth and bouillon cubes are gluten-free.
- Slow cooker: If you want to cook this stew in a slow cooker, you can. Follow the steps to brown the beef and add everything to the slow cooker. Set it to low for 6-7 hours and check it in the last hour of cooking. If it's not thick enough, uncover the slow cooker and cook it on high so that it can cookdown a bit.
How to Make Vegetable Beef Stew
The majority of the effort when making beef stew with mixed vegetables is not sampling while it simmers! With only 15 minutes of prep time, the recipe comes together easily.
Step 1: Coat the Beef. Sprinkle the flour over the cubes of beef and toss them until everything is coated.
Step 2: Prep the Veggies. Saute the onion, celery, and carrots in a large pot with oil over medium-high heat, making sure to stir frequently.
Step 3: Add the Herbs. Mix the garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried rosemary with the vegetables and cook until fragrant. Transfer everything to a bowl and set it aside.
Step 4: Brown the Beef. Add the remaining oil to the pot and begin to brown only half of the beef, stirring regularly. Once cooked through, set it aside with the vegetables. Repeat with the other half of the beef.
Step 5: Put it Together. Add the browned beef, vegetables, beef broth, bouillon, and crushed tomatoes to the pot and increase the heat to bring everything to a boil.
Step 6: Simmer. Add the potatoes to the stew and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.
Step 7: Add in the Veggies: Stir in the corn and green peas, return to a simmer, and cook for another 20 minutes.
Step 8: Finish it Off. Finally, season the stew with salt and pepper. Garnished with chopped parsley and enjoy.
Lyn's Top Tips
- Sautéing the vegetables: The initial vegetables are cooked fully when the onion turns clear.
- Season at the end: Salt may vary greatly from brand to brand of beef broth and beef bouillon. It's best to taste the stew at the end of cooking, and adjust any of the seasonings to your own palate.
- Thicken the stew: The stew should naturally thicken as it cooks. If at towards the end of cooking, it's not as thick as you prefer you can stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water). Continue cooking until it thickens.
- Don't rush the cooking: The stew meat needs to time to tenderize, so don't cut the simmer time short. If it's still a bit tough, extend the cooking time to allow it more time to break down.
- Storing: Leftover stew can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat it once thawed on the stove over low heat and add a splash of broth to it to get it going.
Soup-er Toppings & Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy this hearty, veggie beef stew recipe, alongside your favorite crusty dinner rolls for dipping. Or try a batch of these cheddar cheese biscuits to make the meal even more comforting.
- In the fall, enjoy pumpkin cornbread muffins with bowls of stew to stretch the meal even further.
- Serving for company? Enjoy these goat cheese balls to start.
Vegetable Beef Stew Recipe FAQs
Yes, beef and vegetable stew can be made in advance and is more flavorful the next day. To do this, make the stew, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then heat it over low on the stove or in the slow cooker, adding a splash of broth to thin it out until it's warmed through.
The best cuts for stew are tough, well-marbled ones that become tender with slow cooking. Look for stew meat, chuck roast, or other braising cuts. These break down beautifully and create a rich, flavorful broth. While you can use other cuts, leaner options won't give you the same fall-apart texture and the meat can turn a bit dry. If you're cutting your own, aim for 1-1½ inch cubes and choose beef with visible marbling. Fat is what brings the flavor and keeps everything tender as it simmers.
Yes, vegetable beef stew freezes really well, and it's a great one to stash away for an easy future dinner. The potatoes may be softer after thawing. If that bothers you, you can freeze the stew without them and add freshly cooked potatoes when reheating. To freeze, let the stew cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or freezer-safe bags. Leave a little room at the top since it will expand as it freezes. It will keep well for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm gently on the stovetop until heated through, adding a splash of broth if needed to loosen it back up.
If your vegetable beef stew needs a little extra thickening at the end, it's an easy fix. This beef stew should thicken naturally, but if it's still too brothy, stir in a cornstarch slurry (1-2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with cold water) and let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.
Vegetable Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 ½ pounds beef stew meat
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil divided
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup celery about 4 stalks chopped
- 1 cup carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 quarts low-sodium beef broth 8 cups
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon such as Better than Bouillon
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 4 cups yellow potatoes chopped roughly 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups frozen cut green beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add the stew beef to a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle the flour over and gently toss until evenly coated. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring regularly, for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried rosemary and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and set aside
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring regularly, for 4-5 minutes or until evenly browned. Transfer the beef to the bowl with the vegetables and set aside. Add the remaining beef to the pot and repeat the cooking process.
- Return the browned beef and vegetables to the pot. Add the beef broth, beef bouillon, and crushed tomatoes. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes, return to a simmer, and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Stir in the corn and green peas, return to a simmer, and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Season the stew to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.
Recipe Tips
- Batch cooking: You want to brown the beef in batches so that everything is cooked evenly and the juices are sealed in. In batches, there's no chance of overcrowding the pot.
- Scrape the bottom: As you bring the stew up to a simmer, scrape the bottom of the pot frequently. The bits off the bottom bring the most flavor to the dish.
- Simmering: You want to add the corn and green peas when the potatoes are starting to soften but not fully cooked through. This helps them keep their texture but still be tender with each bite.
