This hearty beef stew is made with chunks of tender roast, a flavorful broth base, and a combination of fall veggies like turnips, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. It's a warm and delicious meal to make for Samhain, Halloween, or anytime during the cold season.

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Happy Halloween! This year, I'm ending spooky season a little different. Instead of posting one last creepy-cute project or recipe, I'm throwing it back old school. We're going to basically have a history lesson on the ancient celebration of Samhain (pronounced sah-win, not sam-hain). We all know that Halloween is celebration of candy, costumes, and ghoulishly good fun, but it all started with Samhain.

What is Samhain?

Samhain is now considered a Pagan holiday, but it started as an ancient Celtic celebration. The day - also celebrated on October 31st - marks the end of the harvest season. Fall crops are used in the celebration. They're placed on altars honoring those who have passed on, as well as cooked in recipes.

The day also marks the start of winter, as light turns to dark (think changing the clocks and evenings getting darker earlier). Bonfires and candles are lit and many celebrations take place outside in nature.

Lighting candles, bonfires, and jack-o-lanterns during this celebration was said to scare off the ghosts who returned while the veil between Earth and the afterlife had thinned. Things like costumes also stemmed from this tradition. And trick-or-treating? That goes back, too. Children would ask for treats in exchange for prayers for the souls of loved ones.

So with that said, I decided to share a seasonal dish that's perfect for Samhain and Halloween celebrations, or all winter long - beef stew. I find nothing better on a cold, dark evening than having something hearty and filling like beef stew for dinner. The dish can tie into traditional Samhain, or Halloween, celebrations by focusing on the ingredients and adding a healthy combination of fall vegetables to the stew.

Traditional Samhain Beef Stew

This beef stew is chockful of good ingredients that will make one deliciously comforting meal. I've used a bunch of seasonal vegetables in this stew including potatoes, mushrooms, and turnips. This stew is also made with a bottom round roast (any boneless beef roast will do, really) as well as a seasoned broth base.

Start this stew by trimming the beef and cutting it into chunks. Add the beef to a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the beef and toss to coat it.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, or Dutch oven, and add the beef. You may need to work in batches so the beef browns evenly. Brown on each side. Then, remove it from the pot and set aside.

The beef doesn't have to be all the way cooked at this stage. It just needs to be browned since it will continue cooking once the stew is put together.

Next, add turnips, onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the pot. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes, just so the onion and garlic get fragrant.

Add the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, and seasonings. The vinegar and Worcestershire sauce will help tenderize the beef, plus adds some good flavor.

Bring the pot to a simmer. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Then, add the beef to the pot, cover, and allow it to cook for at least an hour, but two is definitely better.

If you'd like a thicker consistency to your stew, you could create a slurry with water and cornstarch. Stir the mixture until it's smooth and add it to the stew. Stir to combine and allow it to thicken.

Once you've reached your desired stew consistency, serve the stew.

Traditional Samhain Beef Stew

Jessica

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Equipment

1 large pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

2 + pounds boneless beef roast cubed
3 tbsps. flour
2-3 tbsps. olive oil extra virgin
4 turnips peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion peeled, halved, and sliced thin
3 cloves garlic minced
3 carrots peeled and chopped
3 cups potatoes peeled and chopped
2 cups white mushrooms washed and quartered
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
6 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the beef chunks and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour and toss the beef to coat.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the beef, working in batches, and brown in each side. Once browned, remove and set aside.
Add the vegetables to the pot and cook about 3-4 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, and seasonings.
Bring pot to a simmer, scraping bits from the bottom of the pot. Add beef, cover, and cook at least 1 hour, but 2 hours is best.
If a thicker stew is desired, mix 1 tablespoon corn starch with 1 tablespoon water. Stir until smooth. Then, slowly stir the slurry into the stew.
Allow stew to thicken. Then, serve.

Notes

Want to make this recipe in a slow cooker? Brown the beef, as instructed, then add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Then, serve.

Keyword beef recipes, comfort food, fall recipes, halloween, stew, stew recipes, winter recipes

While this stew is quite filling on its own, I usually serve homemade stew with a side of biscuits (usually my husband's request). You could also serve it with egg noodles, crusty bread, or cornbread. Whatever you serve it with, this stew is a delicious way to welcome the change in seasons.

Did you make this Traditional Samhain Beef Stew recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!