Beef Stew with Turnips and Carrots - AIP elimination compliant

A pot of beef stew on a Sunday is real work, and it is the kind of work that pays you back all week. This one makes enough for lunches through Wednesday, and every bit of the chopping and searing shows up later as an easy meal you do not have to think about twice.

Long-cooked beef gives you zinc and iron alongside the glycine that supports gut-lining repair, structural work that matters while your immune system is learning to settle. Carrots are a solid source of beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, tied to gut-barrier integrity and immune function. Turnips do the job potatoes usually do here, without raising a nightshade concern, and they are genuinely underused for how well they hold up in a long braise.

Let the broth reduce, stir in the parsley at the end, and eat the first bowl while it is still steaming. The rest keeps.

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Sea salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons cooking fat (lard, tallow, or coconut oil)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cassava flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups bone broth (AIP swap: replaces 1 cup dry red wine + 1 cup bone broth from source - omit alcohol entirely, use all broth)
• 1 pound turnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Method

Instant Pot (primary method)

Season the beef pieces generously with sea salt. Set the Instant Pot to saute on high and add the cooking fat. When hot, sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot - browning in batches matters for flavor. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.

Add the onion to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Sprinkle the cassava flour and dried thyme over the onion and stir to coat, cooking for about 1 minute.

Pour in the 2 cups of bone broth and the coconut aminos, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the beef to the pot along with the turnips and carrots. Stir to combine.

Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure. Taste the broth and adjust salt.

Stir in the fresh parsley just before serving.

Cooking Method Variations

Slow cooker variation

Brown the beef and soften the onion on the stovetop in a skillet as described above. Whisk the cassava flour and thyme into the broth and coconut aminos, then transfer everything to the slow cooker - browned beef, onion, vegetables, and broth mixture. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, until the beef is very tender. Stir in parsley before serving.

Note: slow cooker times are standard estimates based on stew meat guidelines and have not been tested in this specific configuration.

Stovetop and oven variation

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Brown the beef and soften the onion in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cassava flour and thyme and stir for 1 minute. Add the broth, coconut aminos, turnips, and carrots. Bring to a simmer, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the beef is completely tender. Stir in parsley before serving.

Note: oven braise time is a standard estimate and will vary with the size of the beef pieces.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com*