I hope you can partake in my excitement and make this beef stew recipe. It is the best beef stew I’ve ever tasted…ever! It is bursting with flavor. Between the beef, the wine, and the mushrooms…I am in beef stew heaven. I do advise you to use red wine that you enjoy since you will get the flavor of the wine in this stew. Most beef stews have flour, tomato bases, and other additives that take away from the purity of meat and vegetables. If you are looking for a hearty dinner for these cold months ahead, look no further. Dutch oven stews often contain an added element of tenderness that will cause this beef to literally melt in your mouth. Dry beef in mushy vegetable broth is why I’ve never been a fan of beef stew in the past. I’ve fallen in love with the recipe and hope you will too. Enjoy:)

Ingredients
1 lb stew meat
3 carrots, diced
2 celery, diced
1 onion, diced
½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup red wine, dry such as Cabernet or Shiraz
5 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons gluten free flour
2 springs fresh thyme
2 springs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
Coconut oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325◦F.
2. In a Dutch oven, brown stew meat and set aside, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from Dutch oven and set aside.
3. Add 1 cup of red wine, 1 cup beef broth, and mushrooms to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
4. In a skillet, sauté onions, carrots, and celery until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste.
5. Add the vegetable mixture to the Dutch oven along with the mushrooms and liquids. Add the remaining beef broth, fresh thyme and rosemary, bay leaves, and stew meat. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cook the stew covered in the oven for 1 hour. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 45 minutes longer.
7. Remove the stew from the oven and take 1 cup of the liquid broth. In a small bowl add the liquid broth and gluten free flour, combing to make a roux. Add the roux to the soup and gently stir.
8. Remove the bay leaves and discard before serving. Ladle into bowls and enjoy.