Photo by Dixie D. Vereen for The Washington Post
This recipe takes a comfort-food classic beef stew in a fresher, more healthful direction by incorporating a bounty of vibrant vegetables. Along with the usual potatoes, carrots and onions, it has chunks of sweet red peppers and green beans that add more color, flavor and nutrition to the pot. This beef and many vegetable stew allows for a generous serving while keeping the portion of meat at a smart size.
Beef and Many Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
1 ¼ pound lean boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup dry red wine
1 ½ cups no sodium beef broth
1 sprig rosemary
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes (1/2 pound) unpeeled, cut into ½ -inch chunks
2medium carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium red bell peppers, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1- inch pieces
Directions
Sprinkle the beef with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat and cook beef until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the meat to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion in to the pot and cook, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, flour, and paprika and cook, stirring, for so seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, about 1 minute.
Add the broth and the rosemary, return the browned meat to the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, peppers, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add the green beans and and cook covered until all the vegetables and the meat are fork tender, 10 minutes more. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 1 ½ cups
Per serving: Calories 380; Total Fat 14g (Sat Fat 5g); Protein 28g; Carb 28g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 185mg; Sodium 600mg