One thing I always have in my pantry is a bag of Hurst's 15-bean soup mix. I throw away the packet of fake ham seasoning. Then I chop up some onions, carrots and celery and get to work.
Normally I start the pot with a little bacon, but this time I used beef stew meat. Because I didn't have any bacon and I was too lazy to go out to the store again. How did it happen that I didn't have bacon and did have beef stew meat? Well...I'm not always an organized shopper. Sometimes I take my list and cross things off as they go in my cart. And sometimes I wing it and assume my little brain will be able to remember everything I need without writing it down. Which, most of the time, it can't.
I love one-pot meals, especially on weeknights. Serve this with some cut-up raw vegetables or a green salad and you're done. If you can, make this recipe a day or two in advance and let it sit in the refrigerator. It's way better after sitting for a day or two.
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Beef stew with beans
A simple thick stew with beef and mixed beans. Turn this into soup by adding more water during the cooking process.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes (I like chuck roast)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 large stalks celery, chopped
- 1 package Hurst 15-bean soup mix (beans only)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped fresh chives or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Spray the pot with cooking spray and add the beef in a single layer. (You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pot.) Brown the beef cubes on all sides - let them get nice and crusty. Take them out of the pot and put them on a plate.Now add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot and stir to coat the vegetables with the beef juices. Saute the vegetables about 5 minutes, until they are softened and glazed with the browned beef juices and bits.Rinse the dry beans in a strainer, then dump them into the pot with the vegetables. Add back the beef plus any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Put in the tomato sauce and bay leaves plus enough water to cover everything by one inch. Bring the pot to a boil, turn the heat way down to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer about two and a half hours, until the beans are soft and the beef is fall-apart tender. Check the pot every half hour or so and add more water if it looks like the beans have absorbed it all.Season the stew with salt and pepper. Serve hot garnished with the chopped herbs.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8-10 servings