Autumn Harvest Beef Stew

Introduction

Autumn Harvest Beef Stew is the ultimate comfort meal that captures the essence of fall in every hearty bite. This stew features tender chunks of beef simmered with an array of colorful, seasonal vegetables, all enveloped in a rich, savory broth. With its deep flavors and inviting aroma, it’s the perfect dish for brisk evenings, cozy family dinners, or a make-ahead meal that warms everyone from the inside out.

Deliciously Unique Autumn Harvest Beef Stew

What sets this stew apart is its celebration of the season’s best: sweet root vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a touch of apple cider for subtle sweetness. The careful layering of flavors—beginning with seared beef, followed by slow simmering with carrots, parsnips, and squash—results in a robust, sustaining meal. This approach ensures that every spoonful bursts with rich flavor, making it ideal for gatherings or quiet nights at home.

Preparing the Perfect Autumn Stew Base

Start by browning the beef to develop a flavorful base. Sauté onions and garlic until fragrant, then deglaze the pot with a splash of apple cider. Adding in a medley of fall vegetables—like butternut squash, carrots, and parsnips—deepens the flavor and infuses the stew with a subtle sweetness and earthy undertones. A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the broth, creating a stew that’s both complex and homey.

Assembling Your Autumn Harvest Beef Stew

Once you have a golden, aromatic base, let everything slowly simmer. The result is melt-in-your-mouth beef and perfectly tender vegetables. For a finishing touch, stir in fresh chopped parsley for vibrancy. This one-pot meal is conveniently straightforward to serve and can be made ahead—just reheat gently to preserve the textures and flavors.

Serving Suggestions for a Show Stopping Beef Stew

Serve this stew in deep bowls with crusty bread, over creamy mashed potatoes, or alongside buttered egg noodles. A garnish of extra fresh herbs or a dollop of sour cream complements the rich flavors. Add a simple green salad for a balanced meal that lets the heartiness of the stew shine.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 6 generous bowls. Depending on your cut of beef and vegetable choices, each serving typically provides around 400 to 500 calories—plenty of sustenance for chilly days, with lots of vitamins and minerals from the root vegetables.

Deliciously Unique Autumn Harvest Beef Stew (Recap)

Layered with seasonal vegetables, tender beef, and a hint of apple cider sweetness, this stew is both classic and unique. It truly embodies the flavors of fall, making it the perfect, crowd-pleasing addition to your autumn meal repertoire.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and meal planning.

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches, searing on all sides until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add onions and garlic to the same pot, sautéing until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze the pot with apple cider, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Return the beef to the pot. Add carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, (and potatoes if using).
5. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Drop in the bay leaf and thyme.
6. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems.
8. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Weekly Meal Planning

Autumn Harvest Beef Stew is an ideal meal for weekly prep—it reheats beautifully and its flavors deepen over time. Save and schedule this recipe to your weekly meal plan and let CookifyAI generate consolidated shopping lists based on all your planned meals.

Planning Benefits:

• Automatically calculates total ingredient quantities for all scheduled recipes
• Organizes shopping lists by grocery section for streamlined shopping
• Prevents overbuying and forgotten items, reducing food waste
• Makes meal prep days easier and more organized

Pro tip: Planning to make soup and a roast this week? Schedule both recipes—CookifyAI will sum up your root vegetable needs, so you buy just enough carrots, parsnips, and potatoes for all meals.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes