There’s really no such thing as too much flavour is there?
Take this Beef Stew with Mushrooms & Miso… succulent, tender beef bathing in thick, rich red wine and beef broth gravy accompanied by sweet carrots, savoury onions and earthy mushrooms. It’s a flavour explosion.
As complex as these flavours are, this stew is super easy to put together and the oven truly does the majority of the work for you.
is there anything more rich, comforting and flavourful than a big bowl of piping hot beef stew? Isn’t is just the epitome of satisfying comfort food? Yes, it is, but please allow me to take it on up another level… want to know what gives beef stew a rich flavour? Read on… I’m here for you friends.
Let’s take that hearty bowl of delicious coziness and add mushrooms. Rich in flavour and in texture, mushrooms are the definition of umami. And THEN… let’s also add a little soy sauce, a good dollop of miso paste, some beef broth and a whole lot of red wine and I am telling you that you are going to want to jump right into your bowl and swim around for the entire winter.
Beef Stew with Mushrooms & Miso recipe, how to make it…
Making stew with mushrooms does require a few steps, but none of them takes very long and the payoff is so worth the minimal effort.
Step 1: Season and brown the beef. Browning = flavour. I recognize that this statement is controversial, and yes, you CAN skip this step, but I personally believe the extra 10 minutes of time and additional stovetop wiping is worth it. (this article backs me up ;))
Step 2: Once you followed the rules and browned the beef, you’ll cook the onions to soften them a little, and then add in a little garlic, butter & flour. This step is going to ensure you have a thick, rich gravy. I am strongly against watery stews, so I feel this step is a must.
Step 3: Deglazing. This is when you pour in your wine and scrape up all those lovely, tasty “bits” you earned by browning your meat.
Step 4: This is where the magic happens… all the add-ins go into the pot. Beef broth, miso, soy sauce, thyme, carrots. The beef goes back in and the whole thing goes into the oven for at least a couple of hours, until the meat is fork tender.
Step 5: What about the mushrooms? Where are the mushrooms? Let’s not panic, we have saved the best for last with good reason. Adding the mushrooms earlier on is an option, but it just will not give us the rich flavour we’re looking for. The mushrooms also won’t achieve the same texture that they will if we roast them first. This only takes 10 minutes.
Toss the mushrooms with some oil, soy sauce, garlic and more miso paste and cook them quickly in a hot oven until they’ve released their juices and concentrated their deliciousness. Add them to the stew. Stir it all up and dig in.
Beef Stew with Mushrooms & Miso Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
The beef – standard beef stew meat is perfect for this recipe, but any slow cooking cut like shank, short rib or brisket will work well too.
Mushrooms – I love cremini mushrooms and they are my go-to, but any mushrooms will work… chopped portobellos, wild mushrooms, button mushrooms.
Miso – I use white miso because it brings that salty, umami flavour without being too funky.
Beef Stew with Mushrooms & Miso Recipe Variations:
- Love potatoes in your stew? I serve this over mashed potatoes, but if you like your potatoes in your stew just add some in for the last hour of cooking.
- Add more vegetables. Squash, sweet potatoes or rutabaga are all great or stir in some chopped kale at the end.
- Replace the red wine with a dark ale or pumpkin beef for a different flavour.
need ideas on what to serve with this stew? Make it a meal with…
- A great bread like: Fluffy Black Pepper Focaccia
- I love brussels sprouts on the side… try these: Marinated Brussels Sprouts with Maple Balsamic or Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
- A tasty side salad like: Spinach Arugula Salad
- An incredible dessert like: Upside Down Puff Pastry Tart or Ricotta and Chocolate Crumble Cake
Is your mouth watering yet?? Mine is. 🙂
Recipe-ish…
Beef Stew with Mushrooms & Miso
Ingredients
For the stew:
- 2 lbs beef stew meat
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 Tbsp white miso
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves*
- 4 large carrots chopped
For the mushrooms:
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms**
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp white miso
Instructions
Make the stew:
- Season the beef with the salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, and in the beef, in batches so as to not overcrowd the pot, and brown, adding in more oil if needed.
- Remove beef to a plate and reduce the heat slightly.
- Add in more oil, if needed, and add the onions to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, the butter and the flour. Cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the broth, miso, soy sauce, thyme, carrots and the beef. Bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot and place in the oven at 325 degrees for about 2 hours until the meat is tender.
- Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 450 degrees.
Prepare the mushrooms:
- In a bowl mix together the olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and miso. Whisk until well combined.
- Toss the mushrooms with the miso mixture and spread on a baking sheet.
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms and add to the stew. Serve.
Notes
**sub button mushrooms or any type of mushroom
Let me know what you think below and if you like this Beef Stew with Mushrooms Recipe I think you should try my Denver Steak Recipe because I just know you’ll love it.
