Warming up with a bowl of hearty Pot Roast Stew is so comforting – and delicious. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy to make – after browning the beef and prepping ingredients, it pretty much just simmers itself into a pot of perfection.

And, it’s also quite nutritious –even being “comfort food” and all! Beef and lots of veggies makes it a balance meal to fuel your life. A serving has 301 calories, 11g fat, 23g carbs and 23g protein.

How to Make Pot Roast Stew – Tips and Tricks

What cut of beef should I use for stew? The “stew meat” already packaged up at the supermarket works just fine. This “stew meat” is typically cut from the top or bottom eye roast – it’s lean!  If you’d like a little more flavor, a chuck roast works well, and I’ve even used sirloin steak. To make life easier on yourself, you can as the butcher to cut it up into chunks for you rather than cutting it up at home.

Do I really need to brown the Stew Meat? Browning the beef is a cooking step you don’t want to skip – while you CAN dump it in with the liquid ingredients and it will cook, you will be missing that deep caramelized flavor that develops on browned beef. This process really adds depth to any beef soup or beef stew. When browning beef, be mindful that you haven’t overcrowded the pot. Overcrowding will cause beef juices to be created faster than they evaporate – making your beef steam rather than brown. But, this pot roast soup recipe calls for just 1.25 lbs which should have enough room to brown nicely in the recommended 3.5 Quart Dutch Oven.

Can I cut the simmering time? Don’t rush the simmering, when you simmer the beef in liquid, it helps break down any connective tissues and create a melt-in-your-mouth eating experience – plus helps all the flavors co-mingle in harmony. Simmering low and slow also cooks the carrots and potatoes just right (but add the more tender peas and mushrooms in the last 20 minutes). The good news is that even though this beef stew recipe needs to simmer for about 75-90 minutes, it process is basically hands-off – just set the pot on the stove!

Is there a substitute for wine? Yes, you canomit it and use a little more broth or add add with a 1/2 part red wine vinegar and 1/2 part water mixture.

Can I substitute vegetables? Yes, as long as everything is cut up into bit-sized pieces – try parsnips instead of carrots, sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes, bell peppers instead of celery. The recipe is very accommodating.