Four-Stage Braised Beef with Root Vegetables

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-30 · Updated 2026-07-30

A comforting beef stew slowly braised through four key stages, featuring tender chunks of beef and hearty root vegetables. This French-inspired beef recipe, ready in about 125 minutes, pairs beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes, onion, diced, garlic cloves, minced for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 lbs beef chuck cubes seasoned with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and sear in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned; transfer to a plate.
2. Step 2: Reduce heat to medium and add 1 large diced onion and 4 minced garlic cloves to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens and coats the vegetables.
4. Step 4: Return the beef to the pot, add 4 cups beef broth, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 hour.
5. Step 5: Add 3 peeled and chopped carrots and 2 peeled and chopped parsnips, cover, and continue to braise for another 45 minutes until beef is fork-tender and vegetables are soft.