Beef Stew (Dutch Oven)

Michael Eisenwasser

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A slow-braised Dutch oven beef stew with chuck, root vegetables, and a red wine splash — scallion greens and garlic-infused oil stand in for onion and garlic.

Prep 20 min

Cook 2 hr

Serves 6

Dairy-free

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch (4 cm) cubes
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour without inulin or chicory root (or 2 tablespoons cornstarch, added later as a slurry)
• 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup scallion greens (~40 g), sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) dry red wine (Cabernet, Merlot, or Pinot Noir)
• 6 cups (1.4 L) low-FODMAP chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1.5 lb (680 g) Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) coins
• 1 medium parsnip (~150 g), peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) coins
• 1 small turnip (~150 g), peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to finish
• Extra scallion greens, to finish

Instructions

Sear the Beef

1. Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. Toss with the salt, pepper, and flour until evenly coated. If using cornstarch, skip the flour here. You'll add a slurry at the end.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the garlic-infused oil in a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high. Work in two or three batches so the beef browns instead of steams. Sear each batch for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat slightly if the flour starts to darken too fast.

Build the Braise

1. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic-infused oil and the scallion greens. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
2. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens and smells sweet.
3. Pour in the red wine. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
4. Return the beef and any resting juices to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprig. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Slow-Braise the Stew

1. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to a 325°F (165°C) oven. Braise for 75 minutes. The beef should be starting to turn tender but not yet falling apart.
2. Pull the pot out. Add the potatoes, carrots, parsnip, and turnip (if using). Stir, cover, and return to the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the beef shreds with a fork and the vegetables are tender.

Finish

1. Fish out the bay leaves, thyme stems, and rosemary stem. Taste the broth and season with more salt and pepper.
2. If the stew is thinner than you'd like, simmer uncovered on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes. Or whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water and stir the slurry into the simmering stew; cook for 2 minutes until thickened.
3. Ladle into bowls. Top with parsley and extra scallion greens.

Tips & Substitutions

• Chuck is the right cut. Chuck, brisket, and short rib all braise well because their connective tissue softens and thickens the broth over two hours. Lean cuts like sirloin or round dry out and turn stringy. Ask the butcher for a whole chuck roast and cube it at home. Pre-cut "stew meat" is often trim from multiple cuts and cooks unevenly.
• Sear in batches. A crowded pan steams the beef and won't brown properly, and the browning carries most of the stew's flavor. Leave space between cubes, and don't move them for the first 3 minutes per side.
• Red wine at 1/2 cup is low-FODMAP. Monash lists dry red wine as low-FODMAP at a 5 oz (150 mL) serve. A 1/2 cup splash across 6 bowls is under that limit. Alcohol can still trigger IBS symptoms for some readers, so sub 1/2 cup extra broth plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar if you'd rather skip it.
• Parsnip and turnip are serve-size dependent. Monash lists parsnip at 75 g per serve low, turnip at 75 g per serve low. One medium parsnip and one small turnip across 6 bowls is about 25 to 30 g per serve, under the limit. Don't double either.
• Skip the mushrooms. Classic beef stew often calls for cremini or button mushrooms, both high-FODMAP in polyols. Oyster mushrooms are the only low-FODMAP option at 75 g per serve if you want the savory depth.
• Cornstarch slurry for gluten-free thickening. If you skipped the flour dredge, whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water and stir in at the end. Flour-dredged stew thickens on its own as it simmers.
• Better the next day. The broth deepens overnight. Cool the stew, refrigerate, and reheat on the stovetop the next day. The vegetables hold up and the beef absorbs more of the braise.

Why This Works

Chuck's connective tissue makes the stew thick and rich. Two hours at 325°F softens the tough bits in chuck and thickens the broth, which also gives the beef its fall-apart texture. Lean cuts skip this step and end up dry. Time and fat cap are the whole trick.

Tomato paste, not tomato sauce. Monash caps tomato paste at 2 tablespoons per serve low-FODMAP. Two tablespoons across 6 bowls is about 1 teaspoon per serve, well under. Canned tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes at a stew volume push the fructan load up fast.

Root vegetables go in late. Adding potatoes, carrots, and parsnip in the final 45 minutes keeps them tender but intact. Adding them at the start would turn them to mush over the full 2-hour braise.

Scallion greens and garlic-infused oil carry the aromatics. Onion's fructans sit in the white bulb; scallion greens stay low-FODMAP up to 75 g per serve. Garlic flavor moves into oil but the fructans don't, so infused oil carries the flavor without the FODMAP load.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container at 40°F (4°C) or below for 3 to 4 days — the stew is better on day two. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop over medium, adding a splash of broth if it's tightened up.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.