Brisket Beef Stew with Wild Rice & Vegetables

I could eat this brisket beef stew every single day. Loaded with wild rice, vegetables, fresh herbs, and a savory red wine broth, it’s cozy, decadent, and beyond flavorful. Save this recipe for dinner parties with friends, family dinners, or chilly nights in!

Reno seems to be stuck in a perpetual winter. But not the pretty kind. The slushy, muddy, brown kind. I miss the snow. At the very least, I’m heading to San Francisco this weekend so I can be cold and wet there instead. I’m going to shop for pottery and eat lots of Chinese food!

To beat some of the winter blues, I made this beef stew earlier in the week and it’s been keeping me nice and cozy for my mid-day lunch breaks. Anytime it’s chilly out, my go-to is a comfy beef dinner like short rib beef bourguignon or pot roast with red wine & shallots.

But what I really love about this recipe compared to other beef stews is the addition of wild rice! It adds a lovely bite and earthiness that you usually don’t find in stew. If you’re in the mood for a good one-pot dinner that gives you the warm and fuzzies, it’s time to make this recipe!

Stew for a crowd

Back when I was in culinary school, we used to braise and BBQ brisket all the time. But after finding a chunk of leftover brisket in my freezer last weekend, I can confirm that it also makes for a lovely stew! After simmering low-and-slow for a few hours, the meat gets super tender, juicy, & flavorful.

• This beef and wild rice soup comes together in just one-pot. Nice & easy!
• It’s full of flavor thanks to a mix of veggies, red wine, & fresh herbs.
• The brisket is beyond tender. You can cut it with a spoon.
• This stew is elegant enough for a dinner party but simple enough for Sunday dinner.

What you’ll need

• Brisket – you can usually find brisket in the meat section of the grocery store or at a butcher. For this recipe, I like brisket flat which is less fatty and holds up well to a long cook time. Just don’t use point cut! It’s much better for BBQ-ing and shredding.
• Salt & pepper – I like Morton’s Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
• Oil – canola, vegetable, or avocado oil all have high smoke-points for searing.
• Flour – a bit of flour will thicken the broth for a rich, savory stew.
• Butter – to keep the veggies from sticking to the pot.
• Mirepoix – onions, carrots, and celery is classic in beef stew. I cut the veggies in big chunks for texture!
• Garlic – fresh garlic adds a deeper flavor to the stew.
• Herbs – fresh rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf.
• Tomato paste – to add color and umami flavor.
• Red wine – I’m a firm believer that wine makes soup even better. Pick something drinkable but not too expensive.
• Beef broth – a good-quality beef broth will slowly braise the meat and make it super tender. I would go with low-sodium beef broth so you can control the salt levels.
• Worcestershire – I like to add a bit of Worcestershire sauce at the end to add richness and even more umami flavor!
• Wild rice – look for plain wild rice, not a boxed mix that has seasoning in it. The seasoning is too salty and will ruin the soup.
• Frozen peas – I know that peas in beef stew is controversial but I like them! Feel free to leave them out if you prefer.

Ingredient substitutions

• Beef – if you can’t find brisket, you can also use chuck roast or sirloin.
• Veggies – feel free to use any hearty veggies you like. Try turnips, shallots, parsnips, pearl onions, rutabaga, squash, mushrooms, or fennel.
• Herbs – try parsley, oregano, sage, chives, or other fresh herbs you like.
• Alcohol-free – you can always replace the red wine with extra beef broth.
• Potatoes – if you don’t want to use rice, you can replace it with 1 pound of halved baby potatoes.

Make this stew

Sear the brisket

1. Start by trimming the fat cap until it’s about 1/4-inch thick and slice the brisket into 1 1/2-2 inch steaks. Season the steaks on all sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
2. Then, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven until it’s shimmering. Sear the steaks on all sides until the beef has a nice brown crust, about 2-3 minutes per side.
3. Let the steaks rest for about 10 minutes. Then, cut the steaks into 1-2 inch cubes.

4. Sprinkle the flour over the cubed brisket.
5. Next, toss the brisket cubes and flour together until the flour is mostly dissolved. Set aside.

Make the stew

1. Return the Dutch oven to the heat. Melt the butter and add the carrots, celery, and onions. Sauté the veggies just until they’re slightly softened and starting to brown on the edges. Spoon the veggies into a bowl and refrigerate for later.
2. Then, add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and tomato paste. Cook until the tomato paste is dark red and the herbs are fragrant.
3. Deglaze the pot with the red wine. Simmer, using a wood spoon to scrape up any brown bits, until the wine is reduced by half.
4. Next, add the beef broth, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, and seared brisket. Stir well.
5. Cover the Dutch oven, tilting the lid so steam can escape.
6. Place the pot in a 300°F (150°C) oven. Braise until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2-3 hours.

Add the rice & veggies

1. Once the brisket is very tender, carefully remove the pot from the oven and set it on the stovetop. Add the rice and reserved veggies.
2. Bring the stew to a gentle boil. Then, cover the pot and reduce the soup to a simmer. Cook the rice according to the package directions, about 45-50 minutes.
3. Right before serving, stir the frozen peas into the stew until they’re warmed through. Discard the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme. Enjoy!

I always recommend braising stew in a Dutch oven if you have one! The thick cast iron helps lock in heat and moisture. The heat retention is amazing for slow cooking, leading to meat that is nice and tender.

Slow cooker

This brisket stew can also be made in a slow cooker! I find that the stew doesn’t come out as rich and savory as it does in the oven. But it’s still a great option if you’re going to be out and about while the stew is cooking. Here’s how to make it!

1. Make the recipe as directed up to the point where you add the red wine. Once the red wine is reduced, spoon the wine-tomato paste mixture into the bowl of a slow cooker.
2. Then, spoon the seared brisket and veggies into the slow cooker. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, & wild rice. Stir well.
3. Cover the slow cooker and cook the stew on HIGH for 6-7 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
4. Once the beef is tender and the rice is cooked through, add the frozen peas. Cook for a few minutes until the peas are warmed through.

Make-ahead & refrigerating

Like many soups and stews, this recipe is an amazing make-ahead dinner. The flavors and textures hold up perfectly in the fridge! For large batches, I like to let the soup cool to room temperature for about 1 hour. Then, pour the soup or any leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate the soup for up to 4 days.

Reheating stew

• Microwave – for small portions, ladle the stew into a microwave-safe bowl. Add a splash of beef broth to loosen up the stew and microwave it for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot.
• Stovetop – for large batches, ladle the stew into a pot. Add a few splashes of beef broth to loosen up the stew and heat it over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it’s hot.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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xo Sara Lynn

Song of the day – Piazza, New York Catcher by Belle & Sebastian

Originally posted on October 10, 2014.