Instant Pot Beef Stew

 A good bowl of Beef Stew is a hearty, satisfying and delicious meal.  What better way to make this wonderful meal but in an Instant Pot. Cooking in an Instant Pot is one of my favorite ways to prepare meals.  

This stew has a wonderful flavor and the meat and veggies are fork tender.  The broth gets a flavor boost from the spices, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.  This is a great meal to make for family and friends or when you need something easy and delicious to prepare.

Instant Pot Beef Stew

From The Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

3 medium carrots (about 12 ounces total)

3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces total)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut the aromatics and beef. Dice 1 medium yellow onion, mince 2 garlic cloves, and place both in a medium bowl. Trim 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Season and sear the beef in two batches. Toss the beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker on the Sauté setting until shimmering. Add half of the beef and sear undisturbed until browned on the bottom, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and beef.

3. Soften the aromatics. Add the onion and garlic to the cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the vegetables.

4. Cut the vegetables. Peel 3 medium carrots and cut on a slight diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Quarter 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (you want about 1 1/2-inch chunks).

5. Add the seasonings and liquid. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 teaspoon dried thyme to the onions and cook until the tomato paste is darkened in color, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup beef broth and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits.

6. Add the vegetables and seared beef. Add the carrots, potatoes, seared beef, and any accumulated juices from the beef, and stir to combine.

7. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes. Lock the lid on and check that the valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 25 minutes on HIGH pressure. It will take 7 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure.

8. Natural release pressure for 10 minutes and make the cornstarch slurry. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together. Coarsely chop some fresh parsley leaves for garnish if desired.

9.Release the remaining pressure and thicken the sauce. Quick release any remaining pressure. Carefully open the pressure cooker and turn on the Sauté function. Stir in  the cornstarch mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Season and serve. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the parsley if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

It is getting that time of year when a nice bowl of soup is very comforting.  I must say soup is one of my favorite meals.  So good, nutritious, and easy to make.  The ingredients needed are common staples and if you do not have exactly what a recipe calls for, you can substitute  ingredient(s).


Today's recipe is for a rich and creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup.   Fresh broccoli is cooked in some chicken stock with chopped onion, garlic and tarragon.  When the broccoli is tender, remove from heat a puree ingredients with an immersion blender.  This is a step I added,  I prefer my soup creamy with just a few whole florets.   Return the soup to the heat and stir in cream.  I then added in the thickening and cooked for about 5 minutes.   Add the cheese a small amount at a time.  Stir until the cheese has melted before adding more.   Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some grated cheese.  Serve.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
From Epicurious Adapted by From My Southwest Kitchen


Ingredients

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
2 pounds fresh broccoli  florets chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried
6 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
Salt and pepper
Grated cheese for garnish - optional

Directions

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli  and onion; sauté until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and tarragon; sauté 1 minute. Add stock; bring to boil. Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.  Return to heat and  stir in cream.
Mix remaining 3 tablespoons butter with flour in small bowl to make paste. Whisk paste into soup.  Simmer until soup thickens  stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
3. Add cheese a handful at a time.  Whisk until the cheese has melted before adding more.  Repeat until all the cheese has been used. Taste and season with salt and pepper.    Ladle into bowls, garnish with grated cheese and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Mmmm good