Description

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.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 kg beef, cut into chunks (I use Beef Round)
1 large onion, 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

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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 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pressure cooker (use the sauté setting on an electric pressure cooker or medium to high heat on a stove top 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, but make sure the heat is not too high or you 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 and toss regularly so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Then, add the bell pepper, carrot, and parsnip, cooking for another 5 minutes. 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 and Serve: 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.

Notes

Adjusting the sauce’s consistency: 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 (after cooking) for a perfect thickness.