Provencal Beef Stew Soups, Stews & Chilis

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. boneless beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups ready-to-serve beef broth
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained
• 1 Tbsp. herbes de Provence
• 1 lb. new potatoes, cut into quarters
• 2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 small yellow squash, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup niçoise olives, pitted and cut in half
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture. Lightly coat beef with remaining flour mixture.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown 1/2 of beef; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Remove beef from stockpot.

Add onion and garlic to stockpot; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Stir in broth, tomatoes, herbes de Provence and reserved flour mixture. Return beef to stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1-1/2 hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Add potatoes, zucchini and yellow squash to stockpot; continue simmering, covered, 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add olives and basil; cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes or until olives are heated through. Serve with cheese, if desired.

Tips from Our Cook

Niçoise olives are from the Provence region of France. Small, oval and purplish-brown in color, they are packed in olive oil and have a nutty, mellow flavor. Greek Kalamata olives may be substituted for niçoise olives.

Herbes de Provence is a dried herb blend used in the cooking of southern France. Often sold in small clay crocks in supermarkets, it’s commonly a blend of basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition information per serving: 358 calories; 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 6 g monounsaturated fat); 80 mg cholesterol; 1179 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 4.1 g fiber; 30 g protein; 4.4 mg niacin; 0.6 mg vitamin B6; 2.5 mcg vitamin B12; 6.0 mg iron; 28.9 mcg selenium; 7.3 mg zinc.