Darleen’s Easy Stew is a comforting, traditional one-pot dish that captures the warmth of home cooking. Combining tender chunks of beef, hearty root vegetables, and a simple tomato base, it delivers balanced flavor with minimal effort. This recipe epitomizes classic mid-century American simplicity, straightforward ingredients, slow-cooked comfort, and nostalgic appeal. Often shared between families and neighbors, it’s beloved for its wholesome taste and easy preparation, offering a taste of rustic kitchen heritage where slow oven roasting coaxes depth and heartiness from every bite.
Equipment
- 1 Large baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs stew meat or roast (cut in 1" pieces)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 4 carrots (cut to bite size)
- 3 potatoes (medium, cubed)
- 2 onions (chopped, chopped)
- 1 can tomato soup
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp basil leaves
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp oregano
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat Oven
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
Step 2: Prepare Ingredients
- Cut meat into chunks, and chop celery, carrots, potatoes, and onions into bite-size pieces.
Step 3: Combine Ingredients
- In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, combine meat, vegetables, tomato soup, and water.
Step 4: Season
- Add salt, basil, parsley, oregano, and pepper. Stir gently to coat ingredients evenly.
Step 5: Bake Slowly
- Cover and bake in a 300°F oven for 3½ hours. Stir once or twice during cooking for even tenderness.
Step 6: Serve
- Serve hot with bread or rolls for a hearty meal.
Tips
- Substitute tomato soup with diced tomatoes for chunkier texture.
- Add frozen peas in the last 30 minutes for color and sweetness.
- For richer flavor, brown the meat before baking.
- Use a slow cooker on low for 6–7 hours as a modern variation.
- Serve over rice or noodles for a more filling meal.
Transcription of the Original Recipe
Read or copy the transcription
Darleen's Easy Stew 1½ lb. stew meat or roast, cut up. 2 stalks celery - cut 2 tsp salt 4 carrots - cut bite size ½ tsp Basil leaves 3 med. potatoes - cubed pepper 2 med onions "" 1 can Tomato Soup 1 T dried parsley ½ c Water ½ tsp oregano 300° oven for 3½ hours.
From Transcription to Instructions
The original recipe just lists the ingredients and a single line,“300° oven for 3½ hours”,so we didn’t change amounts but broke that terse note into clear steps you can follow: preheat, chop, then combine meat, vegetables, tomato soup and the ½ cup water in a large oven-safe pot (we name a Dutch oven so you know what to bake in), add the herbs and salt, cover and bake, and stir once or twice during cooking so everything becomes evenly tender. That way you won’t have to guess when things go in or when to stir.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 28gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 720mgPotassium: 1050mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 7200IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 3.2mg
