This golden mushroom beef stew is the best beef stew I’ve made to date. The secret ingredient? Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup. I must have been living under a rock, because in my 56 years on this earth, I’ve never heard of it until a couple weeks ago.
According to the Campbell’s website:
“Campbell’s® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup is a flavorful combination of beef stock, tender mushrooms, and savory tomato puree. Versatile and easy to use, keep it stocked in pantry to use as an ingredient for your next-best recipes.”
In addition to the soup, you'll also need these ingredients:
- Beef stew meat (or chuck roast, cut into bite sized pieces)
- Flour
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, celery seed
- Crushed tomatoes
- Beef stock
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Worcestershire sauce
How to save money at the grocery store
Typically, I like to buy my carrots and potatoes in bulk. That way I purchase just exactly what I need, instead of buying a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $2, then forgetting I have them and throwing them out a few weeks later.
What is the difference between beef broth and beef stock?
The main difference between beef broth and beef stock lies in their ingredients and how they’re used. Beef stock is made primarily by simmering beef bones, often with vegetables and herbs, for an extended period, which extracts the gelatin and rich flavors from the bones. This results in a thicker, more flavorful liquid used as a base for soups, sauces, and stews.
Beef broth, on the other hand, is typically made by simmering beef meat (sometimes with bones), along with vegetables and seasonings, for a shorter time. It’s lighter and thinner than stock, with a more subtle flavor, and is often used as a sipping broth or a base for lighter soups and recipes. Both add depth to dishes, but stock has a richer, more concentrated flavor due to the use of bones.
Tips for making beef stew:
- Don’t skip the step of browning the beef. It’s the first step in building flavor.
- Don’t add the vegetables too early, otherwise they will overcook and get mushy.
- Cook the stew until the beef is tender. Even after 90 minutes the beef may be chewy and not tender. Just give it more time for the beef to break down and get tender.
Golden Mushroom Beef Stew
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
1.5 pounds beef stew meat
1/4 cup flour
14 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 can golden mushroom soup
3 cups beef broth
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch (for slurry)
2 tablespoons water (for slurry)
- In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss the beef stew meat in the flour mixture until evenly coated.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a bit of oil over medium-high heat. Add the coated beef stew meat and brown on all sides. This will help seal in the flavors.
- Once the beef is browned, add the crushed tomatoes, golden mushroom soup, beef broth, garlic powder, celery seed, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the stew to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the chopped carrots and diced potatoes to the pot. Continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the stew while stirring continuously. This will help thicken the stew.
- Continue to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes until the stew has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
If you are looking to learn more about beef, check out our hands-on class coming up on October 16 where you will learn about grass fed beef from Driftless Prairie Meats & Market out of Wisconsin. All their beef is raised in small batches, which means they can better focus on the health of the livestock and the necessary nutrition needed to raise grass fed beef on pasture without adding corn and growth hormones.
Golden Mushroom Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds beef stew meat
- 1/4 cup flour
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 can golden mushroom soup
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for slurry)
- 2 tablespoons water (for slurry)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss the beef stew meat in the flour mixture until evenly coated.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a bit of oil over medium-high heat. Add the coated beef stew meat and brown on all sides. This will help seal in the flavors.
- Once the beef is browned, add the crushed tomatoes, golden mushroom soup, beef broth, garlic powder, celery seed, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the stew to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the chopped carrots and diced potatoes to the pot. Continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the stew while stirring continuously. This will help thicken the stew.
- Continue to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes until the stew has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
