French Beef Stew

Read Reviews (348)

"Quick and easy, this is a very hearty stew, in truth, a meal in itself. Serve with warm crusty French Bread, if desired." — CORWYNN DARKHOLME

Directions

Combine meat and flour in a large plastic food storage bag and toss to coat evenly.
In a 6 quart saucepan brown meat in hot vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Add diced tomatoes, beef broth, carrots, potatoes and thyme. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover; and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender.
Blend in mustard and serve.

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 26, 2005

Great stew served with cornbread! The mustard is awesome! Here's what I did: 2 lbs beef stew meat, 3 tblsp flour, 2 tlbsp olive oil, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can beef broth, 1/2 cup good red wine, 4 chopped carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1/2 cup mini onions, 2 cubed potatoes, 3/4 tsp dried thyme, 1 tlbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, 2 tlbsp Dijon mustard, pinch of basil, salt/pepper to taste. Thanks for sharing!

—LADYMHARRIS

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 11, 2010

It was fine until the Dijon mustard was added, just before serving. We LOVE Dijon mustard on sandwiches, etc. However, in this stew, it surprisingly tasted strongly of just the vinegar in the mustard. To salvage 'the stew' with all the veggies and two pounds of tender stew meat, I literally rinsed off the sauce! And, made another totally different but delish meal, without that vinegar taste. Won't make again.

—Sue

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483 Ratings

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Oct 02, 2007

WOW! This was wonderful! I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except: used only 1 can of the Italian tomatoes because I only had one. I put in an equal amount of White Zinfandel wine - used it to deglaze the pan after browning as someone else suggested. I added 2 TBSP of Worchestershire sauce because we like it. I did let the meat simmer for about an hour before adding the potatoes and carrots to ensure the meat was tender! It was DELICIOUS! This will definitely be a keeper and one that I prepare often. Plus, it is easy to prepare and takes little time except for the cooking! Thanks for a great recipe!

—PTAYLOR063

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Sep 27, 2003

I am a novice cook. This stew was my first experience with beef. It was so easy even *I* had no problems with it! My husband loved it and I felt like queen of the world serving it. This domestic stuff is more fun that I thought it would be. :) Thanks!

—Fluttergirl

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Jun 14, 2006

Very good! Does have a strong dijon flavor, so if that's not for you, you may want to cut way back. Like many reviewers, I browned the meat first and put that, along with everything else in the crockpot. I didn't make any changes except adding two garlic cloves and about 1/2 lb. of fresh green beans that needed to be used. Sadly, I didn't realize I had no thyme until I was almost done making this. I bet it would be even better with thyme. The stew got nice and thick and I didn't have to add any extra flour. Was very flavorful too. My only complaint was that it was a little salty, and I used reduced-sodium broth and added no extra salt. Next time I'd use one can of salt-free tomatoes. I bet the leftovers will be great! Served with french baguettes from this site.

—What a Dish!

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Feb 12, 2004

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm very satisfying! I added some mushrooms, celery, and a dash of Worchestshire sauce. Also used some onion soup mix and Italian seasoning and added a little less mustard. Thanks for a great recipe!

—DARTHLAURIE

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Feb 22, 2006

I used my instincts and added a few items, and it was fantastic. I added 1 onion (sliced into thin rings) and 1/4 cup red wine. Then with 10 minutes from the end, I added 1/2 cup frozen peas. Make sure to use Dijon - it matters. Excellent

—Scott Fine

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Dec 24, 2006

This is a great recipe. I've made it twice. The first time I added half an onion, a few fresh sliced mushrooms, and about half a cup of wine. The second time, I made the recipe almost exactly as written. Unexpectedly, I like the recipe as written much better. I thought both the flavor and the consistency was improved. Though the stew was excellent both ways. But I must have been using much tougher stew meat than the author, because I had to simmer about two hours before it was tender enough to eat.

—Karen A.

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Nutrition

Calories
343 kcal
17%

Carbohydrates
20 g
6%

Cholesterol
57 mg
19%

Fat
20.1 g
31%

Fiber
3.2 g
13%

Protein
18.7 g
37%

Sodium
491 mg
20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

French Beef Stew

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 343
Calories from Fat: 181

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 20.1g 31 %
Saturated Fat 7.2g 36 %
Cholesterol 57mg 19 %
Sodium 491mg 20 %
** Potassium 750mg 21 %
Total Carbohydrates 20g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 3.2g 13 %
Protein 18.7g 37 %
Sugars 4.7g
Vitamin A 137 %
Vitamin C 34 %
Calcium 8 %
Iron 48 %
** Thiamin 19 %
** Niacin 58 %
** Vitamin B6 34 %
** Magnesium 12 %
** Folate 16 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.