This hearty Beef and Sweet Potato Stew is a comforting dish perfect for any season. Tender pieces of beef chuck roast are lightly coated in seasoned flour, then seared to perfection, creating a rich and flavorful base. The stew is simmered with sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and fragrant bay leaves in a savory beef stock, resulting in a meal that's both nourishing and delicious. After slow-cooking to tender perfection, this stew is ready to warm you up on a chilly day or satisfy your hunger with its robust flavors. Serve it up hot and enjoy every comforting bite!
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Best Meat to Make Stew
The best meat for making beef stew is typically a tough, lean cut of beef that benefits from long, slow cooking to become tender and flavorful. Here are some popular cuts of beef for making beef stew:
- Chuck roast: This is one of the most common cuts of beef for stew. It’s an inexpensive cut that is well-marbled with fat and has a rich, beefy flavor. Chuck roast can be tough if not cooked properly, but when slow-cooked in a stew, it becomes tender and delicious.
- Brisket: Brisket is another tough cut of beef that is ideal for stew. It’s a fatty cut that has a lot of connective tissue, but when cooked slowly in liquid, it becomes tender and flavorful.
- Round roast: Round roast is a lean cut of beef that is also well-suited for stew. It’s not as tender as chuck roast or brisket, but it has a good beefy flavor and becomes tender when slow-cooked in liquid.
Ingredients for Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
- Beef Chuck Roast: A flavorful cut of beef that becomes tender and juicy when slow-cooked, perfect for hearty stews and braised dishes.
- All-Purpose Flour: A versatile flour used for coating meat or thickening sauces, adding a light crust and body to the stew.
- Salt: Essential for enhancing the natural flavors of the ingredients, providing a balanced taste to the dish.
- Black Pepper: Adds a mild heat and aromatic depth, complementing the savory flavors of the stew.
- Olive Oil: A healthy fat used for searing the beef and sautéing vegetables, adding a rich, smooth flavor to the dish.
- Onion: Provides a sweet and savory base, adding depth and richness to the stew’s flavor profile.
- Carrots: Sweet and earthy, carrots add a touch of natural sweetness and a pop of color to the stew.
- Beef Stock: A rich and flavorful liquid made from simmering beef bones, used to create a robust and savory foundation for the stew.
- Sweet Potatoes: Nutritious and naturally sweet, they add a creamy texture and a hint of sweetness that balances the savory elements.
- Cauliflower: A mild and versatile vegetable that soaks up the flavors of the stew while adding texture and nutrients.
- Bay Leaves: Aromatic leaves that impart a subtle, earthy flavor, enhancing the overall depth and complexity of the stew.
Make a Change
There are many vegetables that are good to add to a beef stew, as they add flavor, texture, and nutrition to the dish. Here are some popular vegetables to add to a beef stew:
- Celery: Celery adds a subtle but distinct flavor to beef stew and also provides a nice crunch.
- Potatoes: Potatoes add heartiness and texture to beef stew, and they also help to thicken the sauce.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms add a rich, earthy flavor to beef stew and also provide a meaty texture.
- Peas: Peas add a pop of color and a touch of sweetness to beef stew, as well as providing fiber and nutrients.
- Green beans: Green beans add a fresh, crisp texture to beef stew and also provide vitamins and minerals.
How to Make Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
- Prepare the meat; In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Then, take the pieces of beef and dip them into the mixture, making sure to lightly coat each side.
- Sear the beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large pot. Sear the beef on all sides making sure you don't over crowd the pot. Work in batches if needed. Transfer the browned beef to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot before each batch.
- Make the base: To the same pot add onion and carrots, cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables soften.
- Cook the stew: Add the beef stock making sure to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add sweet potatoes, cauliflower, beef and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is soften to your taste.
Serving Suggestions for Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
- With Crusty Bread: Serve the Beef and Sweet Potato Stew with slices of warm, crusty bread or a baguette. The bread is perfect for soaking up the rich, flavorful broth of the stew.
- Over Rice: Ladle the Beef and Sweet Potato Stew over a bed of steamed white or brown rice. The rice absorbs the delicious juices and adds a satisfying base to the dish.
- With Mashed Potatoes: Serve the stew alongside a generous helping of creamy mashed potatoes. The smooth texture of the mashed potatoes complements the hearty stew.
- With a Side Salad: Pair the stew with a fresh green salad. A simple salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette provides a refreshing contrast to the rich stew.
- With Roasted Vegetables: Serve the stew with a side of roasted vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, or asparagus. The roasted flavors complement the savory stew nicely.
- In a Bread Bowl: For a fun and rustic presentation, serve the stew in a hollowed-out bread bowl. The bread absorbs the stew's flavors, making it even more delicious.
- With Polenta: Pair the stew with creamy polenta. The smooth, slightly sweet polenta enhances the flavors of the beef and sweet potatoes.
- With Grilled Cheese: Serve the stew with a side of grilled cheese sandwiches. The cheesy, crispy sandwiches are a perfect match for the hearty stew.
- With Pickled Vegetables: Add a side of pickled vegetables such as pickled beets, carrots, or cucumbers. The tangy pickles cut through the richness of the stew and add a bright contrast.
- With Cornbread: Serve the stew with a piece of warm cornbread. The slightly sweet and crumbly cornbread pairs wonderfully with the savory stew.
- With Sauteed Greens: Add a side of sautéed greens such as spinach, kale, leek mashed potatoes or Swiss chard. The earthy greens complement the flavors of the stew and add extra nutrition.
- With a Glass of Red Wine: Pair the stew with a glass of robust red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. The wine's bold flavors enhance the rich, savory notes of the stew.
Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
Beef and Sweet Potato Stew is an incredibly flavorful and hearty dish that is perfect for a chilly fall or winter night. It starts with a base of savory beef stock that is loaded with tender chunks of beef and sweet potatoes. Fresh onions, carrots and cauliflower are added to the mix, lending their own unique flavors to the mix. As it simmers, the flavors combine, and the beef and potatoes become incredibly tender. The result is a delicious, comforting stew that is sure to please the whole family.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef chuck roast cut into bite size pieces
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 6 cups beef stock
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 cups cauliflower florets fresh or frozen
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the meat; In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Then, take the pieces of beef and dip them into the mixture, making sure to lightly coat each side.
- Sear the beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large pot. Sear the beef on all sides making sure you don't over crowd the pot. Work in batches if needed. Transfer the browned beef to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot before each batch.
- Make the base: To the same pot add onion and carrots, cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables soften.
- Cook the stew: Add the beef stock making sure to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add sweet potatoes, cauliflower, beef and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is soften to your taste.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaves, check for seasoning and serve.
Notes
- Ingredients and substitutions: This is beef and sweet potatoes stew so if you remove those ingredients, the stew will not taste the same as one in this recipe. The base of the stew (except the beef) are onions and carrots. We all usually have those ingredients on hands quite often. I love adding cauliflower because it gets nice and tender and gives the stew natural thickness. BUT you can add whatever vegetables you have in your fridge and freezer and the stew will still taste delicious! Substitute cauliflower for green beans, peas, even zucchini. The options are endless.
- Meat: The best meat to use for beef stew is chuck roast. It has a good amount of fat that will help to tenderize and flavor the stew, as well as provide a good amount of protein. You can substitute a boneless beef bottom round roast for the chuck roast. Bottom round cut is a lean cut of beef that comes from the hindquarter of the cow. It is often used for roasting, slicing, and stewing. This cut of beef is generally lean with little fat marbling and has an intense beef flavor. The bottom round cut is also very affordable, making it budget friendly.
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