Lightened Irish Beef Stew (Printable Version)

Comforting Irish stew with lean beef and smooth cauliflower mash for a hearty, low-carb meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef Stew

01 - 1 lb lean beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
08 - 1 cup dry red wine or additional beef broth
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
15 - 1 cup frozen peas

→ Cauliflower Mash

16 - 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
17 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
18 - 2 tablespoons low-fat milk or milk alternative
19 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
20 - Fresh chives, finely chopped for garnish (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides in batches without crowding; remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
04 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute.
05 - Return beef to the pot. Add red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
06 - Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender.
07 - Remove lid, add peas, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Place cauliflower florets in a pot of salted water. Boil for 10 to 12 minutes until very tender.
09 - Drain cauliflower thoroughly. Transfer to a food processor with butter and milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
10 - Serve the stew hot, ladled over a mound of cauliflower mash. Garnish with fresh chives if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get all the deep, warming comfort of traditional Irish stew without the heavy aftermath that sits with you for hours.
  • The cauliflower mash is so velvety and rich that nobody notices it isn't potatoes—and it secretly keeps your carbs in check.
  • Lean beef means you're eating something genuinely nourishing instead of just indulgent, which somehow makes the meal taste even better.
02 -
  • Don't skip the drying step on the beef or you'll spend an hour and a half steaming instead of stewing—the difference between a rich broth and something watery and disappointing is literally just paper towels.
  • If your stew tastes flat at the end, it's probably undersalted; season aggressively in the final five minutes and watch how everything suddenly clicks into focus.
  • Cauliflower releases water as it cooks, so drain it thoroughly or your mash will go grainy instead of creamy no matter how much you blend it.
03 -
  • Make this the day before you want to eat it—flavors deepen overnight, and you just reheat gently the next day without any of the work stress.
  • If you want to thicken the stew further without adding flour, remove a cup of cooked vegetables, mash them roughly, and stir back in; it thickens naturally without changing the texture of everything else.
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