Easy Vegetable Beef Stew

This effortless one-dish meal is hearty and healthy and best of all, the kids will actually eat it! It’s loaded with veggies and brimming with flavor---but again, it’s nothing so overdone in the flavor department that you’ll need to make another dish for the munchkins. I just made it tonight with less than 20 minutes of prep time. If the 1 cup of wine called for in the recipe is concerning, you should know the alcohol will cook out (you could simmer the soup for 10 extra minutes if you like) However, feel free to skip the wine completely and just substitute 1 cup vegetable broth.


Easy Vegetable Beef and Mushroom Stew

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
1 pound fresh button mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay)
1 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Pacific Natural Foods brand)
1/2 cup orange juice, divided
2 teaspoons dried basil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups thawed-frozen petite peas
1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels

1.Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add onion and beef and sauté for 5-8 minutes, or until onions are soft. Sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the beef mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

2.Add mushrooms, wine, vegetable broth, half of the orange juice, basil, garlic cloves and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

3.Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add thawed-frozen peas and corn and remaining half of orange juice, Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.