Paleo Stew

Over the holidays our little family took a trip to St. Louis to visit our extended friends and family. It’s been two years since we’ve been to our home town and I cannot described the joy on both the grandparents and our childrens faces as we all spent time together! It was so fun showing our littles off to our loved ones!

It was one of those funny things where we spent 10 days there so they truly got to know their lovely side and also be a part of their wildest moments. Oakley said her first word {“Hi”} while we were there which it was an amazing experience for them to be a part of. Then they got see how sweet of friends Boston and Oakley are and how well they play together—most of the time! Ha! But then you have Boston, who picks boogers and puts them in his new toys mouths and Oakley who cries bloody murder every time you change her diaper. I’m glad they got to see it all, you won’t ever know the wonder of my children unless you see the grins, tears, hear the laughter and occasionally feel the frustration. Being that we live so far away this holiday was a one we’ll always remember!

While we were there, I enjoyed cooking some of my favorite meals for our loved ones to try and to celebrate the holidays with a Paleo spin! One evening, my grandfather made us a delicious beef stew that brought back sweet memories from when I was a kid. He would often visit us when he lived in Chicago and would bring a cooler full of meat that he would request us to eat! (Ha!) I love his beef stew, but I adapted this recipe to be Paleo friendly so it can be enjoyed by my family for years to come. The sweet potato isn’t just a substitution for a white potato, but brings an alternative flavor which adds life into such a hardy style soup. I just love this recipe and though I enjoy the memories of my grandfather’s soup, I have to admit this is my family’s favorite!

What you’ll need:

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 large onions, diced
2-3 large sweet potatoes, cubed
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2, 32oz containers of beef broth
1.5 lbs of stew meat
3 large carrots, cubed
3 cups of peas
3 tbsp chopped parsley
3 springs of thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

How to Make:

First you are going to need to prepare the cuts of the vegetables. Honestly, it doesn’t matter how big or how small. It is all based on personal preference. My husband and I enjoy a hardy stew so we chop up our veggies a bit on the chunky side. —Just allow a few extra minutes on the cooking time.

Sauté the onions in coconut oil until they start to turn yellow and then add in sweet potatoes. Sauté together until they both have golden edges. Add in minced garlic and stir in for about two minutes. By allowing these ingredients to brown first before adding the broth we are adding in a whole new level of flavor to the stew!

Next, add in the beef broth, plus an additional 4 cups of water. This will end the process for the onions and sweet potatoes so they won’t be overdone.

Add in remaining ingredients. Cover and allow stew to reach a boil. Once bubbling, adjust to a simmer for 1-1.5 Hours. Serve and Enjoy!

*note: Peas fall into the Paleo “grey area”. So if you would more comfortable omitting them, substituting celery would be a great swap!