A simple cost effective root vegetable beef stew with a tomato soup base is perfect for warming up during cold winter months
In the Great Lakes Region of the Upper Midwest, Michigan can experience some brutal bone-chilling winter months that require robust meals to warm our bellies and souls while we ride out the darkness and dream of warmer weather. Hot hardy bowls of soup, chili, and stew are regulars on our weekly menus. We need comfort so we look to our ancestor's culinary kitchen witch skills and craft our coveted recipes that have been handed down for generations. They are the comfort food we crave during the dark days, like a warm and fuzzy blanket that we wrap our tummies in.
It's root vegetable season and just like digging into the earth's soil to find these treasured vegetables, if you dig into your ancestry roots, you may find some surprises. I started digging and found out my great-grandfather, Forrest, was badly burned during a Phillips 66 oil refinery explosion in the 1930s. Among the survivors, his burns were the worst, and they covered the majority of his body. I also found out that my great-grandmother, Blanche, was a 4’11” firecracker and never left a stone unturned. She was a flapper during the 1920s and hung out in the underground speakeasies and opium dens of those days. Once Forrest recovered from his injuries sustained during the refinery explosion, they moved to Venezuela where he continued to work for Phillips 66. During this time, my great-grandmother went wild game hunting with the natives. She caught and mounted piranhas and she proudly displayed them in the farmhouse on their cattle ranch when they moved back to the States. I remember a tiger rug on the floor of the farmhouse and Grammy was quite proud of that trophy! They were tough as nails and lived their lives to their fullest. Forrest passed away from a heart attack in the arms of his daughter, my grandmother, while they were on a walk in the woods on their property. He was in his mid-60s and had recently retired from the oil refinery business. Blanche lived a very long life in that farmhouse and passed away in her sleep. She was in her late 90s. I look back on my memories of her and smile knowing she was a sweet, kind, and strong woman who loved a good beer and loved a good time even more. She lived to drive fast and was a force to be reckoned with on the road. I named my Jeep after Blanche and quite often think to myself that if she was sitting in the passenger seat, she would have a big smile on her face in anticipation of an adventure, and would follow up with a cackling laugh and a true co-pilot exclamation, "I'm ready!"
This simple tomato soup stew recipe was a staple in their home and like the roots of a family tree, this recipe continued to feed the generational branches that grew from that tree. Growing root vegetables, raising cattle on the farm, and having a good time was their life. I consider myself lucky to still taste my ancestry and I’m thrilled to share it with you.
Beef Tomato Soup Stew
Ingredients
1 lb. Black Angus Stew Meat
1 large can of tomato soup (2 small cans)
4-6 medium-sized carrots (cut into 2-3” pieces)
4-5 medium to large russet potatoes (cubed)
1-2 medium onions (quartered)
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
5-qt. Dutch oven or roasting pot with lid
directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place flour on a large plate and sprinkle the flour salt and pepper. Use a fork to blend the seasons with the flour. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and turn to coat.
Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or roasting pot over medium-high heat then brown the meat in oil in batches. Remove the beef to a plate.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of flour to the existing hot oil. Stir the flour with a fork to thicken the oil and meat drippings.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the meat, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomato soup. Use a large spoon to stir all ingredients, cover, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are soft.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with dinner rolls of your choice.
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