Stovetop beef stew with red wine is an easy, hearty, and flavorful winter soup that will leave you warm and cozy on a cold day!
So it’s only a few days since Thanksgiving, and you, like I, are probably still full of turkey. (“You’re always full of turkey,” my dad said. I guess I was asking for that one.)
But maybe you didn’t get to take home a giant tupperware of leftover turkey.
Or maybe you’ve already devoured your leftovers and now you need to make something else that will feed you for a couple of days.
Or maybe you’re tired of turkey sandwiches and dreaming of your next non-turkey meal. (For the record, I am still LOVING my turkey leftovers and will be sad when they finally run out. Thanks to my mom and sister, I got TWO Thanksgivings and double leftovers!)
Whatever the case may be, you’re going to want to add this stovetop beef stew with red wine to your menu pretty soon, because it’s cold outside and it will warm you right up!
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There’s nothing like fall-apart beef that you can cut with a spoon to make you feel nice and toasty on a cold winter’s day.
Plus, your house will smell amazing.
It’s fairly hands-off. I just shook some stew beef chunks in a bag of seasoned flour and browned it in a dutch oven, then added beef stock, wine, and herbs, and simmered the meat for about an hour and a half. Cooking the meat alone for a while allows more time for the meat to get tender and fall apart without turning your veggies into mush.
The red wine further tenderizes the meat and also adds an amazing flavor to your stew. I used a Cabernet Sauvignon to cook my beef in: it’s not my favorite to drink but boy does it make beef taste great!
This is, of course, what I’m writing as I’m drinking the last of the bottle. Hey, wine is wine!
Besides the wine, I used a little Worcestershire sauce, a couple bay leaves, and a handful of fresh thyme from my herb garden to flavor the broth.
After the beef simmers for an hour and a half or so, you add your potatoes, carrots, and onions and cook for another hour before finally adding some frozen peas.
Spacing everything out like that helps make the meat ultra-tender, perfectly cook the root veggies, and keep the peas from getting mushy or gritty.
Thicken it up with a slurry made from some of your extra seasoned flour, and that’s about it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This beef stew with red wine was sooo nice to eat on a cold evening, and even nicer to have a bowl of the leftovers waiting for me for lunch the next couple of days.
That Cabernet Sauvignon really makes a huuuuge difference to the flavor. I’ll probably always make my beef stew with red wine from now on. With a glass of wine on the side. Toasty inside and out!
I hope you enjoy it! And happy Thanksgiving!

Stovetop Beef Stew with Red Wine
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2.5 lbs beef stew meat in chunks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 15-oz cans beef broth
- 2 leaves bay
- Several sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup red wine like Cabernet Savignon
- 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes diced in about 1 inch cubes
- 4 carrots in 1-inch chunks
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped in 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups frozen peas
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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In a gallon ziploc bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add stew meat, close bag, and shake to coat.
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In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add meat chunks and brown on all sides. Set aside leftover seasoned flour.
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Add broth, bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 1.5 hours.
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Add potatoes, carrots, and onions, and cook an additional hour.
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Stir in peas.
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In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp of the reserved seasoned flour with enough water to make a thin slurry. Whisk with a fork until smooth. Pour flour mixture into soup and stir to combine.
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Cook for another 15 minutes or so or until peas are warm and broth is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves before serving.
14 Comments
David
November 29, 2016 at 7:23 pmYour beef stew looks just like my mother’s – that is a real compliment! Hers was the best. I love that you did a little e-cookbook – lovely gift for your readers!
Caroline Lindsey
December 5, 2016 at 10:11 pmThanks so much, David! And I’m glad you enjoyed the e-book!
Rachel R
December 8, 2016 at 10:01 pmI’ve been craving something warm and filling with the dreary weather we’ve been having. This looks like it’d hit the spot!
Caroline Lindsey
December 11, 2016 at 12:24 amI agree! It’s just the thing for a cold and dreary day!
Annie
December 10, 2016 at 1:40 pmI look forward to trying this! OK to substitute chicken stock instead of beef?
Caroline Lindsey
December 11, 2016 at 12:04 amHi Annie, I personally would not substitute chicken stock for beef. I think it would dramatically change the flavor profile of the stew. Chicken stock is much lighter and pairs better with white wines, while beef stock is heartier and pairs well with the red wine (and stew beef) in this recipe.
That said, stewing the beef in chicken broth for the amount of time in the recipe may add some beefiness to the chicken stock that might help minimize the difference in flavor. But I would use beef broth if at all possible.
If you do decide to try it with chicken stock, please let me know how it turns out!
Laura
August 28, 2017 at 11:34 pmI am ready for this gorgeous stew. The red wine is a great idea and I will add a nice toasted slice of French bread. Yum
Caroline Lindsey
September 3, 2017 at 7:37 pmOoooh, you’re making me want a big bowl of this soon! Gotta get some French bread to go with it!
Mel
March 13, 2018 at 7:55 pmMade this tonight picky grandkids loved it!
Caroline Lindsey
March 16, 2018 at 8:58 pmWonderful! I’m so glad!
Dana
March 17, 2018 at 8:31 amI am making this today !! Already have the beef cubes marinated!! Off to the store for some warm fresh baked French bread,more wine,and I may add some mushrooms to mine at the end! Yum! Thank you!!
Caroline Lindsey
March 17, 2018 at 9:16 amYum!! I bet it will taste great with mushrooms! Enjoy, sounds like a delicious dinner!
Laura
April 16, 2018 at 12:37 pmIf I don’t have fresh thyme, can I use dried? and how much would you recommend? I want to make this today.
Caroline Lindsey
April 16, 2018 at 10:53 pmHi Laura! Sorry I’m just seeing this. You can absolutely use dried thyme! I’d probably put in about a half teaspoon or so of dried thyme and adjust to taste. It’s pretty flexible! The ratio of fresh to dried herbs is about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs you would use.