Italian Beef Stew
Why make a regular beef stew when you can make an Italian version with more flavor? It was a rainy day yesterday and there is almost nothing better on a rainy day then a hearty bowl of Italian Beef Stew. Yes, this recipe may seem like it has a hundred ingredients, but a lot of them are just herbs (most of which you probably already have on hand) and a bunch of fresh veggies. I decided to add mushrooms to this recipe as many Italian beef stew recipes call for them. If you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to leave them out, there will still be plenty of other veggies. I think next time I make this I may just be a little lazier and toss it all in the slow cooker (skip the browning), then walk away and come back to dinner. I’m telling you though, this stew is completely delicious, amazingly filling and I think it’s fair to say it passes as a healthy meal your whole family will love. And the beef, it’s the best part. That slow and low cooking makes it unbelievably tender. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 3 celery ribs , chopped into 1/2-inch thick pieces (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 large yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 5 Tbsp olive oil , divided
- 2 1/2 lbs beef shoulder , chuck roast or rump roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp dried rosemary , crushed
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 oz cremini mushroom , sliced (optional)
- 4 medium carrots , chopped into 1/2-inch thick pieces (2 cups)
- 1 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes , peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Parmesan or Romano cheese , for serving (optional)