Best Beef Stew With Potatoes and Mushrooms

There’s nothing more comforting than a pot of beef and potato stew simmering on the stove. This classic cold-weather dish brings together tender chunks of beef, hearty root vegetables and earthy mushrooms in a rich, deeply flavourful broth – the kind of easy comfort food recipe many would call the best beef stew for a cozy night in.

A few thoughtful touches — like smoky bacon and Worcestershire sauce — add depth without complicating the process, making this an easy beef stew recipe that still tastes like it’s been cooking all day. Like many slow-cooked dishes, it relies on techniques similar to Braised Short Rib Ragù, where gentle simmering transforms tougher cuts into something tender and rich. Browning the beef before simmering gives beef stew a rich colour and flavour.

Perfect for chilly nights, this beef and mushroom stew is a true one-pot meal, best served hot and shared around the table.

Beef Stew With Potatoes and Mushrooms

Hearty beef stew made with potatoes, mushrooms, bacon and root vegetables, simmered in a rich savoury broth until tender. A classic Canadian comfort dish.

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Ingredients

• ½ lb bacon diced
• 2 lbs stewing beef (beef stew meat) cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion sliced into 1-inch wedges
• 2 stalks celery medium diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 medium white potatoes large dice
• 2 cups quartered button mushrooms
• ½ cup diced turnip
• 2 large carrots peeled, large dice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups beef stock or water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold water

Instructions

 

• In a large pot over medium heat, add bacon; stir frequently. Once bacon has started to crisp, add beef to the pot and sear beef stew meat until brown on all sides. Remove bacon and beef from the pot, leaving any remaining fat.
• Add oil, onions, celery and garlic and cook, stirring often until softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Add potatoes, mushrooms, turnip, carrot, and return meat back to the pot. Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add in the beef stock, and more water if beef and vegetables are not totally covered by liquid. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid. Cook until the vegetables have softened and the meat is tender, 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Once the meat and vegetables have softened, whisk together cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until dissolved. Remove lid and stir in cornstarch mixture, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Keyword beef and potato stew, beef stew, best beef stew, Irish beef stew

Tips from ELLE Gourmet editors

What is the difference between Irish beef stew and regular beef stew?

Irish beef stew typically uses fewer ingredients like beef, potatoes and onions, while other versions, like this beef stew, include mushrooms, bacon and additional vegetables for deeper flavour.

What is beef stew meat?

Also referred to as stewing meat, beef stew meat is typically cut from less tender but flavourful cuts of beef, like chuck, which become tender and rich when slowly simmered.

Excerpted from Canada’s Food Island: A Collection of Stories and Recipes from Prince Edward Island by Farmers and Fishers of Prince Edward Island. Photography by Stephen Harris. Stories and captions by Stuart Hickox. Copyright © 2022 by Lobster Fishers of PEI. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.