Homestyle Vegetable Beef Stew

A hot bowl of homestyle vegetable beef stew is my number one comfort food. Great to enjoy on a cold winter evening or anytime of the year!

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 cup Italian dressing
3-1/2 cups water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon basil or 1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 medium red potatoes (or 1 large baking potato) cut into small chunks
6 celery stalks cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small bag of baby carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon flour or corn starch (optional)
Rice

Directions:

In a tall soup pot, brown meat in salad dressing over medium heat.

Add water, beef bouillon cubes, tomatoes, beef broth, tomato sauce, garlic and spices. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on med-low for 45 minutes. Stir about every 15 minutes.

Add potatoes, celery, carrots and onions. Simmer over medium heat for 2 hours. Stir about every 20 mintues.

The stew will thicken as it cooks. If it is not thick enough for your liking, then add flour or corn starch to a small amout of warm water and stir until disolved. Add mixture to stew.

Serve stew over rice and enjoy!