Spoon-tender beef stew with carrots and parsnips
Easier-to-swallow option below ↓Inexpensive cuts reward patience. Browned chuck, good stock and two unhurried hours on the stove make a stew you can eat with a spoon, with sweet root vegetables added near the end so they hold their shape.
Tossing the beef in flour28 kcal before browning does two jobs at once: the crust deepens the gravy's flavor and the flour thickens the stock as it simmers. Thyme or rosemary and a spoonful of tomato paste round it out.
Why it works
A long, gentle simmer turns the connective tissue in chuck silky, so the meat needs no knife and very little chewing. Leaving the fat in the pot instead of skimming, plus the knob of butter102 kcal stirred in at the end, keeps each serving around 620 calories.
Spoon-tender beef stew with carrots and parsnips
Ingredients
- 800g beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into large chunks
- 2 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil119 kcal or butter
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 carrots, chunky
- 2 parsnips or 1 small swede
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 750ml good beef stock
- A few sprigs thyme or rosemary
- Salt, pepper, a splash of red wine or vinegar (optional)
Method
- Toss the beef in flour and brown well in batches in a heavy pot with oil or butter. Set aside.
- In the same pot soften the onions, then add garlic and tomato paste for a minute.
- Return the beef, add stock, herbs and a little seasoning. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook 2 hours.
- Add the root vegetables and continue 30–40 minutes until the meat is falling apart and vegetables are soft.
- Skim any fat if you like, or leave it for extra calories. Finish with a knob of butter.
Serve over very soft mashed potato110 kcal or with bread that has been dunked until it collapses.
Make it your own
- Make it the day before. the flavour and texture only improve.
- A tin of beans or lentils stirred in at the end stretches it and adds more gentle calories.
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