Slow-Simmered Beef & Bean Stew
A deeply savory beef and bean stew with toasted spices, dark stout, and a hint of unsweetened chocolate. When prepared with no-salt-added ingredients and lean beef, it can fit a DASH-style eating pattern.
Servings 8
Calories 427kcal
Ingredients
Protein & Produce
- 1 1/4 lb 565 g beef sirloin tip or eye of round trimmed, cut into 3/4 in cubes
- 2 large yellow onions diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 3 jalapeño peppers membranes and seeds removed, finely diced
- 1 cup 165 g jarred roasted red peppers no-salt-added, drained and chopped
- 1/3 cup 15 g chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp 45 ml fresh lime juice
Pantry & Spices
- 2 1/2 tbsp 20 g whole cumin seeds
- 2 1/2 tbsp 20 g salt-free chili powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp 12 g smoked paprika
- 2 1/2 tsp 4 g dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp 1 g chipotle powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp 22 ml grapeseed or canola oil
- 3 dried pasilla chiles stems and seeds discarded, cut into strips
- 1 1/2 tbsp 12 g grated 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate
- 1 tsp 5 ml pure maple syrup
- 3 large bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp 3 g fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp 1 g freshly ground black pepper
- Four 15 oz 425 g cans no-salt-added beans rinsed and drained, about 1,040 g drained total
- One 16 oz 473 ml can or bottle of stout beer or nonalcoholic stout or 2 cups 473 ml unsalted beef broth plus 1 tbsp 15 ml brewed espresso
- One 28 oz 794 g can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- One 14.5 oz 411 g can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups 590 ml unsalted beef broth
Optional Garnishes
- Low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- Thinly sliced scallions
- Reduced-fat low-sodium shredded cheese
Instructions
- Toast & Prepare Spices: In a small dry pan over medium heat, toast cumin seeds, shaking often, until fragrant, about 90 seconds. Grind to a powder. Combine with chili powder, smoked paprika, marjoram, and chipotle.
- Sear the Beef: Pat beef dry. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear in two batches until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
- Build the Aromatic Base: Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and red bell pepper, scraping up browned bits, and cook 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, jalapeños, pasilla strips, and the spice blend. Cook 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze and Simmer: Pour in stout, scrape the pot, and reduce by about half, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, 2 1⁄2 cups broth, chocolate, maple syrup, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Return beef and juices.
- Slow-Simmer the Stew: Bring to a gentle bubble, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 1⁄2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is fork tender and the liquid lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Incorporate Final Ingredients: Stir in beans and roasted red peppers. Return to a simmer and cook uncovered 20 to 25 minutes to thicken and meld flavors.
- Finish and Serve: Turn off heat. Remove bay leaves. Stir in parsley and lime juice. Let rest 10 minutes. Skim any visible fat and ladle into bowls. Top with optional garnishes if desired.
Notes
- Ingredient Integrity: Use no-salt-added canned goods, salt-free chili powder, and unsalted broth to keep sodium lower.
- Alcohol-Free Option: For a nonalcoholic version, use the broth plus espresso substitute.
- Thickening Tip: Mash a small portion of beans against the pot side and stir back in.
- Storage and Reheating: Cool quickly, refrigerate up to 4 days, freeze up to 3 months, and reheat until steaming hot throughout.
- Sodium Awareness: Garnishes like cheese can increase sodium choose reduced-sodium versions.
Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 427 kcal
- Total Fat: 6.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
- Sodium: 193 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 42 g
- Dietary Fiber: 11 g
- Total Sugars: 10 g
- Includes <1 g Added Sugars
- Protein: 22 g