Beef Vegetable Stew

I’m a firm believer that there is nothing better than a warm, nourishing soup on a cold, drizzly night in the winter. Unfortunately, it’s June in Seattle and we are still having the weather that makes you want to cozy up in front of a fire! It’s definitely hard to depend on the weather in Seattle, but luckily, I have this simple-as-can-be beef soup recipe made in the InstantPot that uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

What I love about this recipe is that you can truly make it your own, based on whatever you have on hand. Need to use some kale before it goes bad? Throw it in the soup for an extra kick of veggies and fiber! Have a child that hates potatoes? (I didn’t know such people existed, but my oldest staunchly hates every type and preparation of potato.) Omit them, or swap with sweet potatoes, or even parsnips. Add a little coconut cream before cooking to give the broth a thicker texture!

Any changes you make will affect the flavor profile a little bit, but this recipe is fool proof! Also, the InstantPot has the magic ability to meld flavors together in a way that you just don’t get from a quick soup cooked on the stove.

Here are some helpful tips for this recipe:

• Get out all your ingredients before you start cooking. After your ground meat is mostly brown, you can throw veggies in as you chop them to speed things up, and also get some extra yummy caramelization going while you’re still chopping.
• Good knives should be in every kitchen, this recipe will show you why. Dull knives will increase your likelihood of cutting yourself, and can also strain your arm, shoulder, and neck! If you are looking to upgrade, I’ve got a couple suggestions. If you want to spend the least amount of money, go for an inexpensive decently rated 8″ chef’s knife like this. You can accomplish most things in the kitchen with this knife. Hand wash (rather than running it through the dishwasher) and sharpen often to increase the life of this knife. If you’re able to splurge, you won’t regret buying a great knife set like this one.
• Get a large and sturdy cutting board- how annoying is it when all your carrots roll onto the ground? One like this will give you enough space to work, gets great reviews, and is free of chemicals and stains that might leach into your food. Whatever you decide to go with, obviously avoid plastic.
• Finally, a turkey baster will help remove the fat after the meat is browned (if desired). If you don’t remove the fat at that point, putting the finished soup into the refrigerator overnight will separate the fat from the broth, and the fat will harden at the top making it easy to break away and discard.

Feel free to have some fun with this recipe and experiment- I would love to hear about your adaptations too in the comments below!