Citric Acid Free Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
This hearty, warming stew is the kind of one-pot meal that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible ā deeply savory beef, earthy root vegetables, and a broth perfumed with ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon. Avoiding citric acid can be genuinely tricky with store-bought stews and broths, since the additive hides in everything from packaged stocks to canned vegetables, but this recipe keeps things clean from start to finish. The acidity here comes entirely from a small splash of apple cider vinegar, which brightens the broth without any of the synthetic preservatives you'd typically need to watch out for. Bone broth forms the rich, collagen-packed base, and the beef chuck is seared in batches until a proper crust forms ā that step alone is what separates a flat weeknight stew from something genuinely restaurant-worthy. Sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips go in during the final simmer, soaking up all that spiced, savory liquid until they're perfectly tender. The result is a bowl that's comforting and complex, with layers of flavor that taste like they took far more effort than they actually did. A scatter of fresh parsley at the end adds a little brightness and color right before serving.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
- 2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 Ā½-inch cubes
- 1 Ā½ tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Ā½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 4 cups bone broth
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the beef cubes thoroughly dry with paper towels and season with 1 tsp of the salt.
- 2
Heat the coconut oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, add the beef in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 3ā4 minutes per side, until a deep brown crust forms and the pieces release easily from the pot. Transfer the seared beef to a plate and repeat with the remaining batch.
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