Comforting Ground Beef Stew With Leeks Recipe

An old-fashioned beef stew recipe may begin with beef chuck, but in these days of rising food prices, it's good to have more budget-friendly options. Such is the case with this ground beef stew from recipe developer Kara Barrett. She describes the dish as "a simple, unfussy meal that will warm you up on a cold night," and notes that it's also perfect for meal prepping. If you freeze a few single-serving portions, you can have a hearty, comforting bowl of stew in minutes when you're all worn out from shoveling snow.

What really makes this stew stand out, however, is the use of leeks. While leeks may look like big fat scallions, these unsung vegetables have a sweeter flavor. They're also quite mild and substantially sized, which allows them to bulk up a meat dish. They also pair well with potatoes in soups and stews. If you can't find leeks in the store, though, you can use onions or other vegetables in the dish. Barrett assures us that this recipe allows for a lot of leeway since the basic formula is very flexible. She calls it "a good base recipe for simple but hearty stews and soups," so you can keep changing it up all winter long.

The main elements of the stew are ground beef, leeks, baby potatoes, and canned diced tomatoes. Flavoring ingredients include thyme, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and lemon juice, while you will need olive oil and chicken stock for cooking.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan.

Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper, allowing the spices to bloom for a few minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the pieces, until lightly browned. Add 1 teaspoon salt as the beef cooks.

Set the cooked beef aside in a bowl.

Add the remaining oil, leeks, and 1 teaspoon salt to the same pot. Cook for a few minutes, until soft.

Add the potatoes, tomatoes, ground beef, stock, and the remaining salt.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20–30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Add the squeezed lemon juice. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Serve warm, garnished with grated Parmesan, if desired.

The main thing that you need to keep an eye on with this stew is the seasonings, since too little will make for a bland dish, but too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. This stew is seasoned throughout the cooking process. If the stock or broth you're using for cooking liquid is salted, however, you may need to cut down the salt in the recipe to compensate.

Another way to deepen the flavor of the stew is to extend the simmering time. The longer you cook, the better the flavors will blend and the softer the meat and vegetables will be. Just remember that as you cook, the liquid will reduce and the stew will become saltier as a result. You can correct this by adding more unsalted liquid as it simmers (water will work just fine) and saving any final seasoning adjustments until after the stew is done.

One easy way to change up the stew is by substituting in a different kind of ground meat, such as turkey, chicken, or a plant-based substitute. You could also give the dish a chunkier texture by forming the meat into meatballs. The vegetables, too, are something that you can swap in or out as you see fit. We've already mentioned using onions in place of leeks, but you can also use shallots, and celery or fennel could provide a less aromatic substitute. You might also wish to add other vegetables, such as beans, carrots, corn, mushrooms, or spinach, or make your stew even heartier with the addition of rice or noodles.

The seasonings, too, can be tweaked as you see fit. Warm things up with cayenne, chipotle powder, or curry powder, or add cinnamon or cardamom for a more Middle Eastern flavor. Miso, too, would deepen the flavor, while you can replace the lemon juice with a different acidic element like vinegar or wine. You can use wine or beer to replace part of the cooking liquid, as well.