Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

I’m not so comfortable eating chunks of meat. There, I said it. After my two...

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

I’m not so comfortable eating chunks of meat. There, I said it. After my two years as a vegan, it’s tough for me to do. But ya know what, there’s no better time than the present and I decided to seize the moment and make a beef stew… because what better way than to eat meat than to cook it slowly in broth and veggies?

And ya know what? I ate it! One mega portion. I just couldn’t resist the smells coming from my kitchen… I kept running over to the stovetop and lifting the lid just to stir it and smell. And yes, I dipped my fingers in a couple times.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

This dish may look complicated and time-consuming, but it’s the exact opposite. It takes 15 minutes to chop and mince all of your veggies and get all your spices together. Then, it takes about 10 minutes to brown the meat and pre-cook the veggies. Then, you dump everything into the saucepan and let it simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When it’s done, you pour it over a bed of raw zucchini noodles.

So easy! Feel free to be productive during that hour. But let me warn you, your kitchen is going to smell the best it’s ever smelled.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

While the stew simmers,

Try a Tone It Up workout. They’re the best, I really love those girls.

Maybe read a couple chapters out of that book you’ve been meaning to get through. Lu recently bought me Blake Mycoskie’s Start Something That Matters. He started Tom’s shoes. I recommend it if you’re looking for entrepreneurial inspiration. Anyone? Bueller?

Meal plan for the week. I’ve got plenty of tips for that here and here.

Watch an episode of Breaking Bad. Lu and I just got into it. We’re hooked!

The point is, is to not be intimidated by “Ugh, it takes an hour and 15 minutes to cook?!” because you can multitask (you don’t have to sit and stare at the pot of stew for that entire hour). Plus, you can make this the night before and reheat it for lunch or dinner the next day!

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

The carrots, celery and onions really enhance the flavor of the broth. The longer it simmers, the more tender the beef gets and the more the flavors fuse all together. Half-way through simmering the stew, I take the top off and let it reduce so that it becomes more stew-y and less soup-y.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Once the stew is done and has reached a thick consistency, spoon it over a bowl filled with zucchini noodles. As the stew runs over the noodles, the noodles will cook up. Toss around to combine and let sit for a couple minutes before you dig in – the stew is hot and the noodles will cook.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Plus, the softness and warmth of the stew works nicely with the crunchier noodles.

To the person that e-mailed me recently requesting more “meaty” recipes, I hope this does it for ya!

Any other requests? What would you like to see on the blog? Let me know in the comments, as always! 

 

 

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb beef stew chunks
  • 1/2 red onion diced
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 3 carrots peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 4 large zucchinis Blade A
  • freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

  • Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Add in the beef chunks and cook until browned. Remove from the saucepan and set aside in a bowl.
  • In the juices left in the pan from the beef, add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then, add in the red onions and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute and then add in the celery and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes to let the vegetables sweat and then add back in the beef chunks. Add the worcestershire sauce, thyme, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Then, season with salt and pepper and add in the beef broth and diced tomatoes. Place the bay leaves on top and cover to bring to a boil.
  • Once brought to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, covered. Then, remove the cover and let simmer uncovered for 35 more minutes or until the stew thickens.
  • Divide the zucchini noodles into bowls and top evenly with spoonfuls of the stew. Let the stew cook a couple minutes over the zucchini noodles and enjoy, garnished with a bit of fresh parsley!

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Instructions with Pictures

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Add in the beef chunks and cook until browned. Remove from the saucepan and set aside in a bowl.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

In the juices left in the pan from the beef, add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then, add in the red onions and red pepper flakes.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Cook for 1 minute and then add in the celery and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes to let the vegetables sweat and then add back in the beef chunks.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Add the worcestershire sauce, thyme, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Then, season with salt and pepper and add in the beef broth and diced tomatoes.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Place the bay leaves on top and cover to bring to a boil.

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

Once brought to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, covered. Then, remove the cover and let simmer uncovered for 35 more minutes or until the stew thickens.

Divide the zucchini noodles into bowls and top evenly with spoonfuls of the stew. Let the stew cook a couple minutes over the zucchini noodles and enjoy, garnished with a bit of fresh parsley!

Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew with Zucchini Noodles

with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • this looks so good...I'm definitely going to try it!
  • Do you ever do amything to reduce the water content of the zucchini noodles?
    • In this dish, it won't be as big of a concern, because you're not preheating the noodles. I have a bunch of tips/suggestions for that, which you can find here: http://www.inspiralized.com/2013/08/02/lets-get-saucey-i-couldnt-help-myself/
      • Do you ever "salt" your zucchini noodles in a strainer ??
        • I do not - I find that it makes the zucchini noodles go limp and become mushy! Great question.
  • I think this looks luscious. I just reviewed the spiralizer on Amazon and mentioned your blog. This is my flavor of the month right now. Oh, sorry you got into Breaking Bad. It'll take more of your time than you bargained for. This is the greatest TV show I've ever seen. Can't wait for the last five episodes at the end of this month. IMHO......... Keep up the good work. Don't worry about a little meat. It won't kill you. I'm Paleo and have never felt better in my life. My lipids are fantastic, I'm losing weight and feel the best I have in years.
    • Julie - thanks for the kind note! Breaking Bad is pretty great, I won't lie. I'm glad you like the spiralizer and have seen the health benefits already! That's why I'm so in love with it, it's just so great on so many levels - taste, health and fun!
  • Ahhh I keep seeing Zucchini noodles everywhere! I must try this! I love that this recipe is super simple...who likes complicated anything...Not this girl! Thanks for the post girl! I love anything that replaces a high carb noodle ;)
  • Whoa, what an awesome stew! I'm so glad that I ran into this recipe, because I just happen to have all the ingredients! This is going to be my dinner tomorrow! Thank you! By the way, you have great pictures! PS: I'm a huge fan of Breaking Bad. Such a great show! :)
    • Thank you, Shinee! Definitely try it - super easy to make, not much effort (just a bit of chopping & dicing in the beginning)!
  • I'm enjoying trying out your recipes, but my goodness, woman! You like things SPICY! I've had more heartburn in the past week than I did last year, lol! This, the bolognese and most especially the vodka sauce are incredibly spicy! I believe I've learned my lesson after tonight, and I'm going to reduce your recommended red pepper flakes and cayenne by 1/2 or quarter the amount in any recipe from now on, and I think that should do it. My husband and I have laughed about how wimpy you've made us feel, when we thought we could handle quite a bit of spice :) Thank you, though for your ingenuity and dedication to sharing a variety of recipes for the Spiralizer. I have many more on my list to try.
  • Looks Insanely Delicious! Cannot wait to try it! I bet my husband will enjoy it as he LOVES beef stew :)
  • Made this for dinner tonight & it got GREAT reviews from the men in my house! My husband said he can't wait to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. :) The beef stew has great flavor! Just curious if you think this could be made in the crockpot? I'm thinking I can brown the meat and then throw everything else in the crockpot and let it cook on High for 4-6 hours ... what do you think?
  • We had this for the second time this week and it was once again a huge hit. Everyone in the break room commented on how delicious it smelled and asked for the recipe. My boyfriend loves it and asked that it be on the menu every week this fall. Thanks so much for sharing!
    • I'm so glad you like the recipe! You can try putting it over sweet potato noodles for extra fall-ness!!
  • if i want to use 2 lb of meat, should i double everything in the recipe?
  • I just made this tonight and it was AMAZING. I'll be making this again soon for sure!
  • Oh............My............God this was so dang good!!!!!!! Absolutely loved this and was a major success on the very first try!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!
  • Hi! I made this tonight and it was great! More tomato flavor than I thought.. But wondering how you get yours to be thicker? Mine seemed to look different than your pictures!
  • Your first step states to "add in the olive oil" but you forgot to put olive oil in the ingredients list along with the amount needed.
  • This was SOOOO hot and spicy. We could not eat it. We wished we had taken the advice of another poster and reduced the cayenne pepper & red pepper flakes by 1/2 or even 1/4. Other than that, if it wasn't so hot, it would have been delicious! We wish maybe you would have put "spicy" in the title to clue people in as to its heat. :)
  • I'm going to try this today with my instant pot! I'll let you know how it turns out :D
    • ok this was amazing and super easy!!! My instant pot cooked it in about 40 mins too!
  • This stew looks amazing!! I love that you added zucchini noodles. So fun and delicious looking. I have a basic more traditional beef stew recipe that I normally use - but I think it is time for an update! http://doubletherecipe.com/2016/03/02/hearty-beef-stew/ Thanks for sharing :)
  • Looks delicious, will try this!!! Would you have any ideas for converting recipe to make in the Instant Pot? Thank you :)
  • Made it with tofu cubes marinated all day with the herbs, sauce and wine. Loved it too!
  • Made this for dinner last night! It was sooo delicious! Realized I didn't have any cayenne pepper so I googled substitutes and ended up using chipotle chile pepper. Gave the stew quite a kick, but then again I like spicy foods so thought it turned out great! Loooove your recipes!
  • Precisely what I was searching for, thanks for posting.
  • Great recipe!! For those of you who are fortunate enough to switch venison for the beef, DO IT! Outstanding flavor! Thank you so much.
    • Thank you for sharing that with us, Jim! That sounds great.
  • hi looks lovely and cant wait to cook it! may i ask, is it supposed to be one serving? as i have logged it into my fitness pal and it equates to around 1600 cals still gonna cook it regardless lol thanks!
    • You can probably break this up into two servings!
  • Oh my goodness! This was so amazing! I did add a pinch of brown sugar, and it was still on the tad spicy side. But it was great! Will make again and adjust spice levels.