Beef, Leek and Mushroom Stew

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/22/21
Beef, Leek and Mushroom Stew

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

This slow-cooked recipe is great for those flavorful tough cuts of meat that you wouldn't use in other preparations. Budget-friendly and filling, it's a wonderful dish for a family meal. We use large chunks of tender rump steak, but any beef from rump to cheaper stewing beef works well as this recipe is perfect for less tender cuts.

Beef, leeks, and mushrooms complement each other with earthy and comforting flavors. The addition of red wine helps tenderize the meat and pairs wonderfully with the beef flavor. Use a good quality wine, one that you'd drink by the glass. The stew also features carrots, but it has room for any other vegetables you'd like. The long time on the stove will tenderize tougher root vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, or rutabaga.

Serve this comforting stew with mashed potatoes or rice, used not only for flavor but to soak up all that lovely gravy that will result from the beef and vegetable juices. Alongside, serve any seasonal, fresh green vegetables. For a quicker meal, serve a bowl of stew with crusty bread and butter. ​

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pound rump steak, or braising steak, cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 3 large shallots, quartered

  • 3 large cloves garlic, halved

  • 2 medium leeks, trimmed, roughly sliced

  • 1/2 cup red wine

  • 1 1/2 pints beef stock, hot 

  • 6 small carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 5 ounces baby button mushrooms

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. 

    Beef, Leek and Mushroom Stew ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

    mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Pat the beef chunks with a paper towel to make sure they are dry. Preheat the oven to 300 F.

    Pat the beef chunks with a paper towel

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the beef to the frying pan, stirring constantly with a spatula.

    Add the beef to the frying pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Once browned all over, remove the beef and place it in the seasoned flour. Stir to lightly coat all the pieces. Place the flour-coated beef into an ovenproof casserole dish or heavy-bottomed enamel pot, and set aside.

    flour covered cooked beef in a casserole dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Return the frying pan to the heat and add the shallots, garlic, and leeks. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

    shallots, garlic, and leeks in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Add the vegetables from the frying pan into the casserole with the beef. Set aside.

    shallots, garlic, and leeks with beef in a casserole dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Keeping the pan on the heat, add the wine and boil to reduce by two-thirds. While whisking the reduced wine constantly with a hand whisk, slowly add 1 pint of the hot stock. Pour this wine and stock mixture over the beef and vegetables and stir well.

    add wine and stock to the meat and vegetable mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Add the carrot chunks and bay leaf into the dish and give it a final stir.

    carrot chunks and bay leaf to the beef and vegetable mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  10. Place the casserole, covered, into the preheated oven and cook for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. Look at the stew from time to time to make sure it hasn't boiled dry. Top up with the remaining beef stock as needed.  

    cover the casserole pan with aluminum foil

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  11. Once at least 90 minutes have passed, carefully take the casserole out of the oven and add the button mushrooms. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper to taste.  Return the dish to the oven, and cook for a further 30 minutes.

    Beef, Leek and Mushroom Stew in a casserole dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variation

Feel free to add other veggies to this dish for added texture and flavor, such as potatoes, parsnips, or rutabaga.

How to Store and Freeze

The stew keeps well in the refrigerator overnight, but you can also freeze it for up to 3 months in individual portions or family-sized portions. Place the stew in an airtight container for storage.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
450 Calories
21g Fat
24g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 450
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 627mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 10mg 49%
Calcium 82mg 6%
Iron 5mg 29%
Potassium 1076mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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