Winter Beef Stew

Winter Beef Stew POINTS® Value: 9
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 120 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Hot and satisfying — a fantastic meal in a bowl. We seared the beef first to maximize its flavor.


Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 pound(s) lean sirloin beef, such as boneless beef top sirloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 tsp canola oil
1 large red onion(s), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 medium garlic clove(s), peeled, smashed
5 tsp red wine vinegar
1 piece(s) bay leaf
1/8 oz thyme, fresh, about 3 sprigs
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup(s) apple juice, or sparkling apple cider
1 cup(s) canned beef broth
2 medium carrot(s), thinly sliced
2 cup(s) cooked egg noodles, kept hot
2 tbsp parsley, fresh, minced

Instructions
Coat a large nonstick heavy-bottom pot (also know as a Dutch oven) with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add beef; brown beef about 2 minutes per side. Remove beef from pot; set aside.


Heat oil in same pot. Add onion and garlic; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour in apple cider or juice, and stir up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Add carrots and beef, cover pot and reduce heat to low; simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.


To serve, spoon noodles onto individual serving plates and top with stew; sprinkle with parsley. Yields about 1 cup of stew and 1/2 cup of noodles per serving.
Notes
This stew tastes even better if you make it a day in advance. Leave the bay leaf and thyme in the stew until you are ready to serve it.

Vary the recipe using parsnips instead of carrots (could affect POINTS values).

We serve the stew over egg noodles but couscous, rice or mashed potatoes are tasty alternatives (could affect POINTS values).