Got No Beef Stew

Got no beef? That's ok, because I am going to show you how to make something that looks like beef stew, eats like beef stew, and kinda sorta tastes like beef stew without having to use any beef. And whether you're making this because beef is just too expensive, or you are trying to cut down on the amount of beef you eat, or you just enjoy bad grammar – no matter the reason, I really do think you're going to enjoy this! Serve with buttered bread.


Everyday Cooking · Seasonal · Fall · Soups and Stews


Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 4
Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins

Ingredients

Ingredients List

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 pound brown mushrooms, halved

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 7 cups water

  • 2 tablespoons yellow miso paste

  • 2 tablespoons beef base (such as Better than Bouillon®)

  • 1 large bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary

  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 4 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley (Optional)


Directions

  1. Combine butter and vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat and allow butter to melt. Toss in mushrooms and season salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are nicely browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

  2. Add onions and lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until onions have softened and are translucent and the bottom of the pot has turned brown, about 5 minutes. The browned bits on the bottom of the pot will add flavor and color. Add tomato paste and flour to thicken the stew. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Pour in water, increase temperature to high, and bring to a simmer. While you're waiting for stew to come to a simmer, mix in miso paste, beef paste, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, and cayenne; stir to combine.

  4. Once stew is bubbling, add carrots, and celery and reduce heat to medium-low to keep stew at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are very tender and creamy inside and stew has reduced and thickened, about 30 more minutes. Potatoes can be stirred in and broken up a bit to make the stew thicker.

  5. Turn off the heat and stir in freshly chopped Italian parsley if desired.

Cook's Notes:

A high quality beef base is key. I used "Better Than Bouillon." Beef bone broth can be used instead of the beef bouillon base. You can also use fresh herbs instead of dried - use 1 teaspoon each of finely chopped fresh thyme and fresh rosemary.

Make sure to sauté the mushrooms until well-browned before adding the onions. Deep browning on the bottom of pan is encouraged, as it build flavor and give the stew its beefy color.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Nutrition Facts
408 Calories
15g Fat
60g Carbs
13g Protein


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