Budget Beef Stew
Beef stew built on ground beef instead of stew meat, with a head of cauliflower pureed back into the broth to thicken it. Cheaper and faster than a braise, and the cauliflower disappears completely. From Whole Food for Your Family (Autumn Michaelis).
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 4 cups beef broth or bone broth
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 lb Yukon gold or russet potatoes, chopped
- 3 medium or 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed, chopped into large florets
Instructions
Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
Stir together the broth, tomato sauce, dried onion, salt, garlic powder, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf in a bowl.
Combine everything in the pot.
On the stove: bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. In an Instant Pot: seal and cook on Stew for 25 minutes, then release the steam manually. In a slow cooker: low for 8 hours or high for 4.
Remove the bay leaf. Scoop out all the cauliflower florets with some of the broth and puree them in a blender until creamy.
Stir the puree back into the stew.
Notes
The cauliflower is a thickener, not a vegetable you taste. Puree it smooth or it reads as cauliflower.
Freezes well in individual portions, up to three months.