Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Here’s a classic Old-Fashioned Beef Stew—simple, hearty, and slow-cooked the traditional way.

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch chunks

• 2 tbsp oil or butter

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 carrots, sliced

• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 2 stalks celery, sliced

• 3 cups beef broth

• 1 cup water

• 2 tbsp tomato paste (or ½ cup diced tomatoes)

• 1 tsp salt (to taste)

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp paprika

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tbsp flour (for thickening, optional)

Instructions

1. Brown the beef
   Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add beef and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.

2. Cook vegetables
   In the same pot, cook onion until soft. Add carrots and celery; cook 3–4 minutes.

3. Simmer
   Return beef to pot. Add broth, water, tomato paste, salt, pepper, paprika, and bay leaf. Stir well.

4. Slow cook
   Cover and simmer on low heat for 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is fork-tender.

5. Add potatoes
   Stir in potatoes during the last 45–60 minutes of cooking.

6. Thicken (optional)
   Mix flour with a little cold water, stir in, and simmer 5–10 minutes until thickened.

7. Serve
   Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Old-Fashioned Tips

• Low heat = tender beef

• Tastes even better the next day

• Serve with crusty bread or biscuits

Variations

• No tomatoes: leave them out and add extra broth

• Herb style: add thyme or parsley

• Slow cooker: cook on low 8 hours, add potatoes halfway

If you’d like, I can also share a 1940s-style version, a thicker gravy stew, or a one-pot stovetop shortcut.