Beef Carrot Stew
⏲ ~108 min total · prep 18 · cook 90 · 4 servings
Soups⏱ 45 min total🔥 8g net carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Nov 2, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb sirloin tip or top sirloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion and 2 celery ribs, both chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 1/2 cups peeled turnip, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Season the beef cubes with 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp pepper right before searing.
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers; sear half the beef undisturbed 2 minutes, turn, and brown the other sides about 1 minute more, leaving the centers pink. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef, then set the meat aside.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and celery, and cook 4 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the bottom, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute until the paste darkens to brick red.
- Pour in the broth and Worcestershire; add the thyme, bay leaf, turnip, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently 20 minutes, until a turnip cube offers no resistance to a paring knife.
- Return the beef and any collected juices and simmer uncovered 8 minutes to warm through and slightly reduce.
- Whisk in the xanthan gum a pinch at a time and simmer 2 minutes, until the broth turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the bay leaf, taste for salt, and serve hot.
Why this recipe works
- Sear, then stew The beef browns in two batches and leaves the centers pink on purpose. It finishes gently in the broth instead of toughening in the pot.
- Turnip stands in for potato Turnip cubes hold their shape through the simmer and bring a faint sweetness that suits the carrots. Potato would break the carb budget.
- Xanthan gum, whisked in pinches A quarter teaspoon turns the broth glossy and spoon-coating. Added all at once it clumps, which is why the recipe says a pinch at a time.
Tips for making this recipe well
Season right before searing
Salt draws moisture out over time, so season the cubes as the oil heats. Dry surfaces brown harder.
Keep the sear short
Two minutes undisturbed, then about a minute on the remaining sides, leaves the centers pink. The cubes have nearly half an hour of simmering ahead of them.
Test the turnip, not the clock
At the 20-minute mark, stab a turnip cube with a paring knife. No resistance means the vegetables are done and the beef goes back in.
The bay leaf comes out
Fish the bay leaf out before serving, since it keeps giving long past its useful life. Taste for salt at the same time, because reduction has been concentrating the broth.
Serving suggestions
This is the stew we make when the evening turned cold and the fridge still has carrots and turnip. Ladle it deep, grind black pepper over each bowl, and hand out spoons with flat edges for the turnip. At 8.5 net carbs it stands as a main without bread. The xanthan-thickened broth clings to the beef instead of pooling at the bottom, so the last ladle tastes like the first.
Storage and meal prep
Cool the stew and refrigerate it for three to four days. The flavor deepens by day two and the broth thickens further when chilled. Fish out the bay leaf before storing anything. Reheat gently on the stove, loosening with a splash of beef broth if it has thickened past spoon-coating. The stew freezes well for two to three months in flat containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm slowly.
Variations worth trying
- Celery root swap Celery root replaces the turnip, cut to the same 3/4-inch cubes. Expect a slightly more herbal sweetness.
- Mushroom addition A cup of quartered mushrooms goes in with the carrots and turnip and adds a savory floor. Keep the liquid amounts unchanged.
- Slow simmer Let the final uncovered simmer run longer over low heat if you want a thicker base. Whisk the xanthan in at the end either way.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different cut of beef?
Sirloin tip or top sirloin cooks through in the short simmer this recipe uses. Tougher cuts like chuck need hours, not minutes, so they do not fit this timing.
Why is the beef still pink after searing?
On purpose. The cubes finish cooking in the simmering broth, and searing them through first would leave them dry by the end.
Can I skip the xanthan gum?
Yes, and you will have a thinner, brothy stew that still tastes right. Simmer uncovered a few extra minutes to reduce it if you want more body without the gum.
How do I keep the xanthan from clumping?
Whisk it in a pinch at a time and give each pinch a moment to disperse before adding more. Dumping it in all at once forms little gel balls that never dissolve.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
The sear still happens on the stove, then everything can move to a slow cooker on low until a turnip cube offers no resistance. Stir the xanthan in at the end, after the lid comes off, so it thickens the finished base.
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