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Cozy Red Wine Beef Stew: Best One-Pot Dinner

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A dark, velvety red wine beef stew with tender carrots and root vegetables, inspired by a beloved French bistro. This one-pot wonder is perfect for cozy nights and tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1.5 cups dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
  • 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

  1. Prep the beef (5 minutes): Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper all over.
  2. Brown the beef in batches (15 minutes): Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half the beef in a single layer — don’t crowd the pot. Let it brown undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side, until a deep crust forms. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef and the second tablespoon of oil. If the pot looks dry, add a splash more oil.
  3. Sauté the aromatics (5 minutes): Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute — it should darken slightly and smell rich.
  4. Deglaze with wine (2 minutes): Pour in the red wine and use your wooden spoon to scrape up all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer for 2 minutes, reducing slightly.
  5. Add liquids and herbs (2 minutes): Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add the rosemary, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Return the beef to the pot along with any juices that accumulated on the plate.
  6. Simmer the stew (1.5 hours): Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for 1 hour. After 1 hour, add the carrots, parsnips, celery, and potatoes. Stir everything together, re-cover, and simmer for another 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the beef is fork-tender. Check the pot occasionally — if it looks too thick, add a splash of broth or water.
  7. Finish and serve (5 minutes): Remove the rosemary and thyme stems (the leaves will have fallen off) and the bay leaves. Stir in the frozen peas and let them warm through for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the beef — it creates deep flavor. Use a dry red wine you’d actually drink. Cut vegetables uniformly for even cooking. Simmer low and slow for tender beef. The stew tastes even better the next day. For slow cooker: brown beef and sauté aromatics first, then cook on low for 7-8 hours, adding vegetables in the last 2 hours. For Instant Pot: use sauté function, then pressure cook on high for 35 minutes, add vegetables and cook 5 more minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: beef stew, red wine stew, one-pot dinner, cozy dinner, comfort food, winter recipe, beef stew with vegetables

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/cozy-red-wine-beef-stew-best-one-pot-dinner/