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    Home » Stews » Old Fashioned Beef Stew With Eggplant

    Old Fashioned Beef Stew With Eggplant

    Last updated December 22, 2021. Originally posted September 16, 2020 By Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves. 20 Comments.

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    This Greek old-fashioned beef stew recipe is a classic family dish that tastes as good as it looks. The sweetness of the eggplant is a perfect partner to the tender beef. Fresh herbs, San Marzano tomatoes, cinnamon, and aromatics create a delicious sauce worthy of lots of bread dipping!

    A bowl of old fashioned beef stew with eggplants on a napkin, another at the back.

    I love cooking this old fashioned beef stew recipe for many reasons.

    First and foremost for the heavenly sauce. Dipping a piece of crusty bread in this sauce is a must and can not be missed.

    Second, it reminds me of home. My mom used to serve it over mashed potatoes and it was the dish that convinced my younger self that eggplants are not evil 🙂

    Third, it is simple, easy and unpretentious. I love it! 

    A dutch oven with beef and eggplant stew. some bread and a napkin.

    How to make this old fashioned beef stew

    It is pretty easy to make this hearty stew. You need stew meat, I like beef chuck cut it into chunks. Next, eggplants, good quality canned tomatoes, lots of garlic, and aromatics. Extra virgin olive oil goes without saying, it is a staple in Greek cooking as well as in my pantry.

    Ingredients

    • Beef chuck stew meat
    • Eggplants
    • San Marzano tomatoes
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Red onion
    • Garlic
    • Fresh herbs like thyme and oregano
    • Dry oregano
    • Nutmeg
    • Cumin
    • Cinnamon stick
    • All purpose flour
    • Sea salt
    • Freshly ground pepper
    Image 1. Pieces of eggplant brushed with oil .
Image 2. Baked eggplant pieces in a baking sheet.

    Preheat the oven top 325 F.

    Cut the eggplant cubes. Oil a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the eggplant pieces to the baking sheet. Brush a little olive oil on top of each eggplant cube. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of oregano.

    Bake cubes for 30 min or until eggplant flesh is soft and a light golden color. When done, remove from oven and set aside.

    Image 1. Pieces of stew meat being browned in a pot.
Image 2. Diced onions and aromatics sautéing in a pot.

    Dry the beef pieces well using a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly dust 1- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour all over beef. 

    Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Brown the beef, a few pieces at a time, about 2-3 minutes. Remove beef pieces on a plate and set them aside.

    Add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1-2 min. Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oregano. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes.

    Image 1. Beef stew and fresh herbs cooking.
Image 2. Eggplant and beef stew cooking.

    Add the tomatoes. Gently crush them to eliminate any big chunks. Mix well. Add the beef back in the pot, ½ cup of water, some fresh thyme and oregano sprigs.

    Stir gently, cover and simmer in very low heat for 1 hour.

    Add eggplant pieces to the stew. Stir gently, cover and simmer for another 30 to 45 min or until beef is soft and almost falling apart with a fork. Adjust salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

    A red dutch oven with beef and eggplant stew

    How to thicken beef stew

    Dusting the stew meat with all-purpose flour before browning helps thicken the sauce.

    In case your sauce is too thin it is pretty easy to thicken it:

    Add a couple of ladles of sauce to a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of flour and whisk vigorously. Add it back to the stew and stir gently. Simmer for a few more minutes. Your sauce should become richer and thicken. You can adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more or less flour.

    Two bowls with old fashioned beef stew and some pieces of bread, utensils and a napkin.
    • You can substitute green zucchini for eggplants. Don't bake them, just cut zucchini in large pieces and sauté with the onions and seasonings. Let them cook all together with the meat and tomato sauce.
    • If you don't have fresh herbs don't stress! Just use dried versions of what you have. If all you have is Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence, that's great. Both work great with this recipe.
    • I love using San Marzano tomatoes in my cooking. By all means, please use what is available to you. Taste the sauce and add a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce to adjust the acidity of the tomatoes if needed (you can skip this step if you are using San Marzano tomatoes D.O.P.).

    You may also like:

    • This hearty red wine beef stew is a perfect Sunday dinner.
    • A super easy chicken stew with lemony cannellini beans makes a rustic, satisfying meal.
    • This flavorful Greek lamb stew avgolemono is finished with avgolemono, the fantastic creamy egg, and lemon sauce. 
    • Papoutsakia or stuffed eggplants are topped with hearty tomato sauce and a cheesy béchamel.

    Check out my Greek pantry staples 

    Cooked this? Rate this recipe! You can also leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!

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    A bowl with eggplant stew.

    Old Fashioned Beef Stew With Eggplant

    by Jenny | The Greek Foodie
    This beef stew recipe has sweet eggplant, tender beef, fresh herbs, San Marzano tomatoes, cinnamon, and lots of aromatics.
    4.87 from 15 votes
    Print Recipe
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Meats
    Cuisine Greek
    Servings 6
    Calories 493 kcal

    Equipment

    • A large dutch oven or oven-proof stock pot.

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 lb beef chuck cut in 1 inch cubes aprox.
    • 2 eggplants cut in 1 inch cubes
    • 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes
    • 1 red onion diced
    • 4-5 cloves garlic sliced
    • 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 4-5 sprigs fresh oregano
    • 1 tablespoon Greek dry oregano
    • 1 tablespoon nutmeg
    • 1 tablespoon cumin
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven top 325 F.
    • Cut the eggplant cubes. Oil a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
    • Add the eggplant pieces to the baking sheet. Brush a little olive oil on top of each eggplant cube. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of oregano. Bake cubes for 30 to 45 min or until eggplant flesh is soft and a light golden color.
      When done remove baking sheet with eggplants from oven and set aside.
    • Dry the beef pieces well using a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly dust 1 - 2 tbsp all purpose flour all over beef. 
    • In a large pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Brown the beef, a few pieces at a time all over, about 2-3 minutes. Remove beef pieces on a plate and set aside.
    • Add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1-2 min. Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and oregano. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes
    • Add the tomatoes. Gently crush them to eliminate any big chunks. Mix well. Add the beef, ½ cup of water, some fresh thyme and oregano sprigs. Stir gently, cover and simmer in low heat for 1 hour.
    • Add eggplant pieces to the stew. Stir gently, cover and simmer for another 30 to 45 min or until beef is soft and almost falling apart with a fork.
      Adjust salt and pepper to taste. and serve.

    Notes

    Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on products used.
     
    Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of fresh thyme or oregano leaves.
    You can enjoy this hearty stew as is or over mashed potatoes, polenta even french fries. Don't forget the crusty bread to dip in the sauce!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 33gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 136mgPotassium: 1237mgFiber: 8gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1227IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 6mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
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    I am Jenny, a Greek expat living in the greater New York City area. I like to say I am a beauty art director turned foodie, aka the Greek foodie. Born and raised in Greece, my fondness for good food goes hand in hand with my heritage. My absolute favorite thing to do is cook delicious food to enjoy with family and friends.... Find out more about me here…

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