Low Carb, Full Flavor Beef Stew
Cooler weather means soup in our house! There’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup at the end of a chilly day to warm your belly and heart.
I love this twist on beef stew.
The Thing About Carbs
For the record, we believe in eating plenty of carbs. Most people just eat way too many in general, and way too many low-quality, highly processed carbs specifically.
If the majority of your diet consists of carbs, recipes like this one make it easier to get a better balance without having to think about it too much. The turnips lower the carb count without affecting the overall profile of the stew.
(Turnips are a vegetable. Technically, all vegetables are carbs, but when considering the make-up of your diet, vegetables fall into their own category, so they don’t contribute to your carb count.)
You can also adapt it to better suit your goals.
For instance, if you want to lose weight, even if you already mostly make decent food decisions, there’s a good chance you’ll have to cut back on carbs to some extent. If you’d rather save more carbs for other meals (or even just for another side with this meal), just swap the rest of the potatoes in this recipe for more turnips.
Personally, I like having a mix of both. If you don’t tell your family what’s in it, they might not even notice the difference between the potatoes and the turnips. Try it out either way and decide what you like best!
Ingredients
2 lb. stew meat
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (12 oz. size) beer
4 c. beef stock (or 4 cups water + 4 beef bouillon cubes)
2 c. water (additional, if needed)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
6 whole carrots, washed, unpeeled, and roughly sliced
2 whole new potatoes, quartered
2 turnips, peeled and diced
Minced parsley (optional)
Instructions
Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.
Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.
Add carrots, potatoes and turnips, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
