By Ella Elman and Bianca Gomez
On a cold and rainy day in February, there’s nothing better than a bowl of something delicious and comforting. Beef stew is a warm and hearty meal that’s sure to take the chill off even the toughest winter days. This dish is filled with a variety of veggies, tender meat, and a rich broth, which make it a satisfying and easily customizable dish. If you are on an Autoimmune Protocol diet and avoiding nightshades or if you’re simply looking for a low carb or gluten free option, beef stew is sure to be a winner. All the versions below are Paleo compliant. We also have an SCD and low FODMAP compliant version below. And did I mention how easy it is to make? It truly is a throw it in and forget it kind of meal, which is always appreciated on a busy weeknight!
The recipes below include three different variations of beef stew, which include an autoimmune friendly stew without tomatoes and wine, a flavorful beef and butternut squash stew with tomatoes (low FODMAP compliant), and third variation that is SCD compliant. So, pick the stew that’s right for you and enjoy!
Autoimmune Friendly Beef Stew
(8 servings)
3 lbs beef stew meat
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 anchovy fillets, in oil
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 cup capers (or olives)
2 zucchini, diced
2 medium celery roots or 1 large, diced
1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
32 oz beef bone broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 spring fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fish sauce (Red boat brand)
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss stew meat with 1 Tablespoon salt. Add 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil to large Dutch oven and allow to melt. Brown stew meat in a single layer on all sides. Remove beef from the pan and set aside. You might have to do this in batches if the beef is too crowded.
Saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery in beef drippings until onion is browned and vegetables are soft but still have a crisp to them.
Meanwhile, place 4 anchovies into a food processor with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and process into a paste. Once the onion mixture is ready, place into Dutch oven or heavy oven-proof casserole dish. Add the meat, capers, diced zucchini, shiitakes, capers, celery root, cauliflower and anchovies, along with three sprigs of thyme and a large sprig of rosemary. Add a generous squirt of fish sauce and broth, or enough to cover the vegetables about ½ of the way to the top. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover tightly and place into the oven for about 2 hours until the stew meat is tender. If a Dutch oven or oven-proof casserole dish is not available, you can cook over low heat on the stovetop with a tightly covered lid until the meat is tender. After the meat is done cooking, taste for salt and add more if necessary.
By far the most time expedient method is to use the Instant Pot if you have one. Toss stew meat with 1 Tablespoon salt. Use the sauté setting to melt 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil and brown the stew meat, in batches. Remove to a plate and sauté onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the beef drippings until onion is browned and vegetables are soft but still have a crisp to them.
Make the anchovy paste as indicated above and combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot and use the meat/stew setting. Allow to depressurize for about 15-20 minutes until the lid opens. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if necessary.
Beef and Butternut Squash Stew (low FODMAP version)
(8 servings)
3 lbs stew meat
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion (for low FODMAP use 1 bunch scallion greens)
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic (omit for low FODMAP)
2 teaspoons diced jalapeno
1 1/2 cup dry red wine
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 carrots , diced
1 small butternut squash, cubed and peeled
1 turnip, cubed
1 bunch kale, destemmed and sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons oil and allow to melt. Sprinkle beef with 1 Tablespoon salt, add to pan in a single layer and brown on all sides. You might have to do this in batches if the beef is too crowded. Remove beef to a plate.
Add minced onion and caramelize in beef drippings. Add chopped bell pepper. Sauté about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, jalapeno and sauté another two minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine, bring to a boil scraping pan to loosen brown bits.
Add beef back in and add the spices and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer gently for 1 hour.
Add butternut squash, turnips and carrots and simmer for one more hour until beef is tender. Add kale and cook a few minutes until wilted. At the end of the cooking time, taste and adjust salt and spices as necessary.
By far the most time expedient method is to use the Instant Pot if you have one. Add 1 Tablespoon salt to the stew meat. Use the sauté setting to melt 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil and brown the stew meat, in batches. Remove to a plate and sauté onion, garlic, carrots and bell peppers in the beef drippings until the onion is browned and vegetables are soft but still have a crisp to them.
Add all meat, spices, butternut squash and turnip to the Instant Pot. Add wine and crushed tomatoes and check the level to make sure that liquid comes up about ½ of the way to the top of the meat and vegetables. Add whole tomatoes and additional liquid from the whole tomatoes if necessary. Otherwise, drain the liquid and add the tomatoes by themselves. Use the meat/stew setting. Allow to depressurize for about 15-20 minutes until the lid opens. Add kale and use the sauté function to cook until wilted and soft. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Beef with Tomato and Leek (SCD friendly)
3 lbs cubed beef
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 anchovy fillets, in oil
1 jar tomato paste (or 2 fresh tomatoes for SCD)
1 large leek, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 large cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 cup dry red wine
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup mixed green and black olives
32 oz beef bone broth
1 tablespoon fish sauce (Red Boat brand)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss stew meat with 1 Tablespoon salt. Melt 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil in a large Dutch oven and brown stew meat on all sides. You might have to do this in batches if the beef is too crowded. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Mince leek and garlic. Cut carrots and celery into bite-sized pieces. Sautee in beef drippings until leek is browned and vegetables are soft yet still crisp.
Meanwhile, place 4 anchovies into food processor with 3 tablespoons of tomato paste (or olive oil for SCD) and process into a paste. Once the leek mixture is ready, place into a Dutch oven or into a heavy oven-proof casserole dish. Add the meat, olives, diced cauliflower, tomatoes (if using) and anchovies. Add wine, a generous squirt of fish sauce and enough broth and water to cover the vegetables about 1/2 of the way to the top. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover tightly and place into the oven for about 2 hours until the stew meat is tender. If an oven proof Dutch oven or casserole dish is not available, you can cook over low heat on the stovetop with a tightly covered lid until the meat is tender. After the cooking time has finished, taste for salt and add more if necessary.
By far the most time expedient method is to use the Instant Pot if you have one. Toss 1 Tablespoon salt with the stew meat. Use the sauté setting to melt 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil and brown the stew meat, in batches. Remove to a plate and sauté leek, garlic, carrots and bell peppers in the beef drippings until the onion is browned and vegetables are soft but still have a crisp to them.
Make the anchovy paste as indicated above and combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot and use the meat/stew setting. Allow to depressurize for about 15-20 minutes until the lid opens. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
