Hearty Vegetable Beef Stew • Family Around the Table (2024)

When it’s cold outside you want a comforting meal, at budget prices, this Hearty Vegetable Beef Stew will warm you right up. It’s easy to make and, with a bit of advance prep work, gets dinner on the table in no time.

Pin Hearty Vegetable Beef Stew to make later.

This recipe is made with a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables and it’s made entirely on the stovetop in one pot.

One pot means fewer dishes and that’s never a bad thing. This hearty beef stew is made in a Dutch oven or stock pot to make this recipe.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• You make this hearty beef stew recipe on the stovetop.
• It’s budget-friendly.
• It’s easy and packed with flavor.
• A lot of advanced prep work can be done to make this come together quickly.
• Clean-up is easy because this beef stew is made in one pot.
• This recipe is for a hearty beef stew without wine.

If you’re like me, as the weather grows cooler you look for meals to warm you up. This vegetable beef stew is full of beef and vegetables with a rich broth full of flavor.

My Mom would have called this an old-fashioned vegetable beef stew. It just warms you to the bone and is very comforting.

It’s perfect for a weekend lunch or weeknight dinner during autumn and winter. Leftovers, if there are any, are easily reheated on the stove or in a microwave.

Taste for seasoning before serving. I usually like to add a little pepper.

What makes this beef stew recipe economical?

This beef soup recipe can be a budget meal choice for many reasons.

First, it uses a lesser expensive cut of beef, round steak, that I found on sale for $4.99/ pound. I buy the round steak that I have to cut up. Buying it as stew meat

Second, it’s a great recipe to use up potatoes and carrots you have on hand. I used baby carrots I cut in half because they were on sale for .99 cents in my grocery ad. It’s ok to use regular carrots, just peel and slice them into coins about 1/2 inch thick.

I usually have peas on hand in my freezer. I buy a couple of bags at a time when they are on sale.

How can I make Vegetable Beef Stew easier to make?

Do prep work ahead of time. Some of the prep work can be done in advance when you have time. Trim the beef and chop the carrots in advance to get this meal on the table more quickly on a busy night.

A few things you can do in advance include:

• Cut the carrots. As I mentioned I used baby carrots and cut them in half. If you buy regular carrots, slice them into disks.
• Cut the beef into bite-size pieces and store, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Often times I will measure liquids for recipes in advance and keep them in the fridge so I can just grab them when I’m ready to make the dish.
• The potatoes will brown if you peel and cut them too early, so those should wait until you start to brown the beef.

What can I serve with beef stew?

I usually serve the refrigerated crescent rolls but, unless purchased on sale, those aren’t all that budget friendly. There used to be lots of coupons for them but those are now few and far between.

Other ideas are Hawaiian rolls (a favorite with my kids), or a nice crusty French bread. Both are perfect for sopping up the broth.

These are some favorites that are not budget breakers:

• Maple Cornbread – this maple version of cornbread is perfect to serve with soups and stews
• Cornbread Muffins – very similar to what a popular restaurant chain serves.
• These potato dinner rolls from Karen’s Kitchen Stores would be an economical choice.
• Monkey Bread Biscuits – always a hit with kids!

If you have any leftovers, cool the stew completely then store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The leftovers are perfect to take to work for lunch. Easily warm up the stew on the stovetop or microwave. More money is saved by bringing your lunch to work and not eating out.