Comfy Beef Stew Soup

Still post the celebratory weeks of Christmas, New Year, weddings and more,coupled with a cool weather calls for more simple, warm, homemade comfort food. This one stems from such a moment in the recent past. Hope you can enjoy this bowl of comfy goodness with your family. Add some crusty bread loaf and you have a perfect meal! You can try this one with the Crunchy homemade soda bread recipe I posted yesterday.

For my vegetarian friends, please note you can substitute the beef with 200 gms of mushrooms and need only 20-30 minutes to cook this dish when cooked in the pressure cooker. You can also add beans of your choice about 100 gms.

You need:

• 1/2 kg of fresh beef meat, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
• 1 cup of tomato puree
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp of pepper powder
• 1/4 cup of plain flour
• 2 cups of beef stock
• 1/2 tbsp parsley leaves, finely diced 
• Lime leaves or cilantro for garnish (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Drinking water as required
• 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 cup of red wine (optional)
• 1 cup of Guinness (optional)

The Make

Serves 4 adults | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes

Note: This recipe is best made in a slow cooker however if you do not have the time or a slow cooker, you could opt for the faster option as below. In a slow cooker, this recipe would require a minimum of 6 hours.

1. In a large pressure cooker, combine the beef, garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Saute on medium-low heat. 

2. Pour in the puree and season with Worcestershire (optional),bay leaf, parsley and pepper. 

3. Stir the flour and beef stock together in a separate bowl and add into the beef mix. Stir well. Add the optional Guinness and wine.

4. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or for 4 whistles on medium-high and 4 whistles on low heat.

5. Once the pressure has settled, uncover and do a salt check and add salt as required. Check also if you have sufficient liquid for your soup, else add more as required. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Garnish if required with cilantro or lime leaves.

Serve hot with a side of Crunchy Rosemary and honey soda bread ! Bon appetit!