Recipes › Rutabaga › Rutabaga and Beef Stew
Rutabaga and Beef Stew
Rutabaga replaces the standard potato in this deeply savory beef stew, its slightly sweet, earthy flavor absorbing the rich braising liquid beautifully while holding its shape far better over long cooking times. Slow-cooked with beef chuck, carrots, onion, and a Worcestershire-spiked broth, this is the ultimate cold-weather one-pot dinner. The rutabaga is the element that makes this stew completely unforgettable.
Rutabaga is in season now. More rutabaga recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- 2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
Contains: fish.
Method
- Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear beef in batches without crowding, turning to brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.About 15 min
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the pot and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly.About 7 min
- Return beef to the pot. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour until beef is beginning to become tender.About 65 min
- Add rutabaga and carrots to the pot. Cover and continue simmering for 45-50 minutes until beef is fall-apart tender and rutabaga and carrots are fully cooked. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.About 50 min
Tips
- Add the rutabaga late in cooking — it holds up well but does not need 1.5 hours to cook through.
- Proper searing of the beef in batches is what creates the deep, flavorful fond that is the foundation of the stew.
- To thicken the broth, mash 2-3 pieces of cooked rutabaga against the side of the pot and stir them in.
Ring the changes
- Add 1 cup of Guinness or dry red wine in place of 1 cup of broth for a richer, more complex stew.
- Use lamb shoulder instead of beef for a rich, gamier variation that is particularly classic with rutabaga.
Keeping it
Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. The stew tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
In the app this recipe finds you
Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 2,482 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.
More from the same crop
Thinly sliced rutabaga layered with heavy cream, gruyère, and garlic and baked until bubbling and golden-crusted is a rich, warming gratin that transforms a humble winter root into a dish worthy of any holiday table. The rutabaga holds its shape better than potatoes and its slightly sweet, mustard-like flavor pairs beautifully with the nutty cheese. Serve alongside roasted lamb or beef for an elegant cold-weather dinner.
1 h 20 min · medium · Rutabaga
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 6 April 2026.