Sweet Potato Beef Stew

How about one last hearty soup before Winter officially ends?  The weather here in Georgia keeps flip flopping between 80 degree sunny days and 40 degree drizzly evenings.  On one of those recent chilly nights, I felt motivated to put a healthy spin on the traditional Beef Stew.  I made sure to fill the soup with as much veggies as possible, and I swapped out the white potatoes for sweet potatoes.  I think the sweet potatoes added a needed touch of natural sugar to balance out the saltiness of all the other ingredients in the stew.  I don't think I'll ever go back to regular old white potatoes in a beef stew again!

Sweet Potato Beef Stew

6 Servings

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Beef Stew Meat, cut into 1" chunks

1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

8 oz Mushrooms, sliced

5-6 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1/4 Cup Flour

4 Cups Beef Broth

2/3 Cup Dry Red Wine

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 Bay Leaves

1 tsp Dried Thyme

4 Carrots, peeled & sliced

1 large Sweet Potato, peeled & diced

1 Cup Frozen Peas, thawed

Salt & Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.  Season the beef stew meat with salt and pepper.  Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil and then the meat.  Brown the meat on all sides, but don't cook through.  Transfer meat to a bowl and set aside.

2.  In the now empty dutch oven, add in the onions and vinegar and sauté until softened (add more oil if necessary).  Next add in the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste and cook for one more minute.

3.  Add the beef stew meat back into the dutch oven, and sprinkle with flour.  Stir until flour is mixed in.  Pour in the wine and beef broth, and then add in the Worcestershire Sauce, bay leaves, and thyme.

4.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer.  Cook, uncovered, for an hour or longer, until meat is tender.

5.  Stir in the carrots and sweet potatoes and cook until vegetables are tender, about an additional hour.  Stir in the peas and take off the heat.  Salt & pepper to taste.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size:  1/6th of Stew

Calories:  486

Fat:  25

Carbs:  25

Protein:  49