Pressure Cooker Beef Stew Without Potatoes

This pressure cooker beef stew without potatoes combines tender beef with fennel, mushrooms, carrots, parsnip, garlic, and herbs in a deeply savory sauce. Browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables first creates the flavor of a slowly cooked stew, while pressure cooking makes an affordable cut of beef beautifully tender in just 45 minutes. Serve it over creamy cauliflower mash for a hearty and nourishing cold-weather meal.

Beef Stew: an Affordable, Nourishing, and Flavorful Meal

Beef stews are one of my favorite meals to prepare as the weather cools, but using more affordable cuts of meat can mean longer cooking times. That’s where the pressure cooker comes in—a true culinary game-changer. It not only cooks the meat in a fraction of the time it would take on the stove or in the oven, but it also preserves important nutrients and helps reduce anti-nutrients like lectins.

In the summer, we love grilling cuts like flank steak, ribeye, tenderloin, or sirloin. But once the colder season settles in, nothing beats tender meat cooked with plenty of vegetables in a savory sauce. For this stew, we use an affordable cut, like beef round, and it’s ready in just 45 minutes in the pressure cooker.

Though the pressure cooking time is only 45 minutes, building depth of flavor requires a few extra steps. Start by searing the meat in batches, if needed, to achieve a rich, caramelized crust. Then, sauté the aromatics and vegetables in layers to fully release their flavors before pressure-cooking.

You don’t need to use stock or broth—although you certainly can if you have some on hand. A few of our homemade bouillon cubes would be a perfect fit. But the vegetables and aromatics in this recipe bring all the flavor and nutrition you need for a hearty, satisfying stew.

In Romania, the stews I grew up eating were always made with potatoes. For this recipe, I wanted to create a lower-carb, potato-free alternative while still filling the pot with a nourishing variety of vegetables, including fennel, mushrooms, carrot, parsnip, and red pepper. I love serving it over creamy cauliflower mash, which soaks up the savory sauce and makes this comforting meal complete.

How to Thicken Stew Without Flour

The amount of liquid can be adjusted to control the sauce’s consistency. With the 1 1/2 cups of water used here, the result will be a slightly runny sauce. For a thicker consistency, reduce the water to just one cup, or try this trick: add a cubed sweet potato to the stew. It will soften as it cooks, naturally thickening the sauce. If you’re serving the stew with cauliflower mash, as we do, simply add about 1/2 to 1 cup of mash to the stew itself for a perfect thickness.

Complete List of Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) beef, cut into chunks (I used Beef Round)
• 1 large onion (or 2 medium), roughly chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 200 grams mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 large parsnip, cut into large chunks
• 1 large carrot, cut into large chunks
• 1 bouquet garni (sprigs of rosemary and thyme)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 1/2 cups water

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Ingredients: Roughly chop the onion, fennel, and bell pepper. Cut the parsnip and carrot into large chunks. Halve or quarter the mushrooms if large. Cut the beef into chunks and mince the garlic.

Sear the Meat: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pressure cooker. Use the sauté setting on an electric pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot, or medium to high heat on a stovetop pressure cooker.

Add beef in batches, making sure not to crowd the pot. Sear until browned, forming a crust on the meat, which helps lock in flavor and tenderness. Repeat until all the meat is browned (about 3 batches). You can add more olive oil if necessary. Set aside.

Sauté Aromatics: Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Sauté the onion, fennel, and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon of salt for 5-10 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan and lift any browned bits. Ensure the heat is not too high, or toss regularly so nothing burns on the bottom.

Cook Vegetables and Seasonings: Add the mushrooms, bouquet garni, bay leaves, allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Then, add the bell pepper, carrot, and parsnip, cook for another 5 minutes, and regularly toss so nothing sticks to the bottom. Add the seared beef back into the pot, tossing well to combine. Sprinkle with another 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Pressure Cook: Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water and add the Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Season: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (it probably needs more salt). Serve warm with your favorite mash—cauliflower mash is a great option—and garnish with fresh parsley.

How to Serve this Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

To keep this beef stew nourishing and low-carb, serve with a simple cauliflower mash or our Mashed Cauliflower, Celeriac, and Parsnip.

This recipe is part of our round up 20+ Healthy Fall Recipes. Check it out for more cozy dinner ideas made with seasonal produce.

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