The days are shorter and the weather is colder. Doesn’t that make you just crave a warm comforting bowl of soup or stew?
Although I miss the warm weather, the fall is my favorite season for cooking (and fashion). I love all of the seasonal ingredients such as pumpkin, butternut squash, apples, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes and the aromas of spices such as cinnamon and and nutmeg wafting through the kitchen. It seems to be a time of year when family and friends get together much more which for me is always a great excuse to try out a new recipe!
Today I am sharing my beef stew recipe that I make with butternut squash. Feel free to substitute the squash for sweet potatoes or leave out the rice to make this a low carb meal. This stew tastes even better the next day as all of the flavors really meld together and soak into the beef.
This recipe make a large pot of stew so it is great for freezing in smaller portions to enjoy at a later date as well.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1.b lb raw lean stew meat
- 1 medium onion, [i]chopped[/i]
- 1/2 green bell pepper, [i]chopped[/i]
- 1/2 red bell pepper, [i]chopped[/i]
- 4 cloves of garlic, [i]minced[/i]
- 2 medium tomatoes, [i]chopped[/i]
- 1 cup of low-sodium organic beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups butternut squash, [i]cubed [/i](approx 1/2 a squash)
- 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
- 3 cups cooked brown rice (optional)
- 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, [i]shredded [/i](optional)
- Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot over a medium-high heat.
- Add the stew meat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes until the meat in browned
- Add the onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, for 40 minutes.
- Add the butternut squash. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-12 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the beef is fork tender.
- Remove the bay leaf.
What are some of your favorite soup or stew recipes? I would love some new ones to add to my collection. Comment below!
Emily J. Goodman 