Have you ever seen that meme that’s like, forget pumpkin spice weather, it’s SOUP weather. That’s how I feel. Pumpkin spice? Eh. Any and every type of soup? YES PLEASE.
Instant Gratification…
My boyfriend got me an Instant Pot for Christmas last year. I’ve never used anything like this (slow cooker, pressure cooker, etc.) before, I was always one to slow cook the soup myself in a dutch oven for hours.
But this thing is AWESOME. It gives you that slow-cooked taste, and only takes about 45-50 minutes once all is said and done. I like the Instant Pot better than a crock pot, because you can sear your meat all in one. With a crock pot, you need to sear meat and any veggies on the stove first. The Instant Pot, there’s a Saute setting, so you don’t have to dirty any other pans!
I started by searing the beef – prime round, or chuck is great for a meat stew. Even though they were cut already, I cut them smaller into about 1-2″ pieces. I mixed the meat with flour and salt and pepper before searing. The flour will help thicken it later on.
Empty out your fridge!
What’s great about soup or stew, you can really empty out your fridge. If you had spinach or kale, or turnips or sweet potatoes, it will all work!
The basis though is normally onion, carrot, celery and potatoes. I happened to have mushrooms in the fridge and peas in the freezer, so I added those too!
As far as herbs, I usually only use the fresh rosemary (definitely need), thyme, and bay leaves. I also had sage, so I added that in (why not?!) and I actually really liked how the flavor turned out. I was nervous because it’s more of a delicate herb, like basil, so wasn’t sure how it would hold up. But I think it pleasantly surprised me! If you don’t have sage, don’t worry, it’s definitely not a deal breaker!
This meal is perfect for when the weather starts getting a little colder. It’s hearty, yet easy to make. And you can really set it and forget it! You don’t have to wait all day for it to be done, which any recipe that I can make and eat within an hour….SIGN ME UP.
This stew would probably be even better the next day, but tbh …we didn’t even have any leftovers!
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ – 1 ½ lb prime round boneless or Beef Chuck, cut into about 1-2” pieces
- 3 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 small white or Spanish onion
- ½ cup portabella mushrooms
- ½ cup of frozen peas
- 2 russet potatoes or 8-10 baby potatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 cups of beef broth I like low sodium
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- Fresh thyme, rosemary and sage
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 teaspoons of salt
- 2 teaspoons of pepper
- Chopped parsley and Pecorino or Parmesan to garnish
Instructions
- Peel the carrots and onions. Roughly chop them, along with the celery, mushrooms, and potatoes into about 1” pieces. Finely chop the garlic. Place all cut veggies, except potatoes, in a bowl and set aside. If you have kitchen twine, tie three sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and sage together. If you do not have twine, you can chop them all together.
- Place all meat in a bowl, and sprinkle with the flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Combine well to make sure all the pieces are covered with the flour.
- Turn your Instant Pot onto the Sauté setting. Once it’s hot, add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. When one batch is done, transfer to a plate while you sear the rest.
- Once all meat is seared and on a plate, you should have some great brown stuff on the bottom! DO NOT CLEAN! We’re going to deglaze and use all that yummy flavor. Pour the wine into the pot, and scrape with a wooden spoon, all of the brown bits (careful, it might get steamy!).
- Once all the bits are up, add your bowl of vegetables (carrot, onion, celery, garlic and mushrooms) and last tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté for about five minutes. Add in the tomato paste, combining all together for another few minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper and turn off the Sauté setting. Once everything is ready, add the rest of your ingredient: potatoes, herbs, peas, bay leaves, and beef broth.
- Press the “Pressure Cook” button, and set for 30 minutes on High. It’ll take a few minutes, but a timer of 30:00 will come up on the screen. Once it’s done, let it natural release for 10 minutes (now it will count up to 10:00). Once that is done, quick release for about 5 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls, and top with chopped parsley and sprinkle of Pecorino or Parmesan!
