This is a stew the way my grandma made it; very simple, no fancy ingredients here. It just takes time and Love to make it perfect. My grandma usually made the stew with potatoes and sometimes also with rutabaga which is in my language called “repa”. She would also shred rutabaga and pickle it, or just peel it, cut into thin slices and give it to grandchildren to eat it fresh because it’s healthy.
You will notice this not being a conventional way of preparing a stew (no meat searing); still it works wonderfully and the end result is an amazing combination of tender beef, delicious vegetable and hearty soup.
Beef Stew with Rutabaga
Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP cooking oil (I use sunflower)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 medium carrot (chopped)
- 1 medium parsnip (chopped)
- 2 lb (1 kg) stew beef (cut into large cubes)
- 1 tsp Vegeta spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups (1 l) water (+ a few cups more while cooking)
- 1 lb (500 g) rutabaga (peeled and cubed)
- Fresh flat leaf parsley
Preparation:
- In a heavy bottom cooking pot sauté onions, garlic, carrots and parsnips for about 4-5 minutes.
- Place cubed beef on the vegetable bed and let it brown well on all sides.
- Slightly cover pan and keep sautéing beef and vegetables together for 20-30 minutes. Beef will release juices, so just let everything slowly simmer until all liquid evaporates.
- Soon you will hear a frying sound. Make sure you stir well so beef or vegetables don’t burn.
- Now is the time to add spices: vegeta, salt, paprika and pepper. Stir once again and make sure meat is well coated with spices.
- Add water, bring it to boil and then turn down to medium cover and let is simmer for 2 – 2.5 hours. Some of the water will evaporate, so make sure to check the pot every 20-30 minutes to see if you need to add any water. Meat needs to be covered with water at all times while simmering.
- The last 45 minutes of cooking add peeled and cubed rutabaga; adjust spices if needed. Serve warm , garnished with fresh parsley.
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bakingwithsibella.com 
I must say I love your blog. It has inspired me to make some of that food I really miss from my youth, like Bosnian stuffed peppers and that cake with merengue, Sampita (I cant get that thing over my S, sorry).
My dad worked volunteer in a refugee camp and so I got to know lots of Bosnians, and also my brothers wife is Croatian. So tomorrow it will be Bosnian food here, thanks for making recipes in English and easily understandable.
Thank you kindly! 🙂 I’m glad you know and enjoy Bosnian home cooking. It’s the best! 😉
Mmmm. Looks god for a cold night.
Thanks! Cold and snowy nights is what we’re having now; being snowed it AGAIN…
I have yet to try rutabaga. I trust my fellow Bosnian that it is worth trying especially if I follow your recipe. Btw, I like your new logo design! Super cute.
Stay warm in this frigid weather. Perhaps we should meet for a coffee someday. Hugs 🙂
It is worth trying! It has a very subtle taste… To me it’s a taste of childhood. I think this year I will try to pickle it because I hear it’s really good when you cook it with ‘grah’.
The logo is I think just a temporary solution, until I have time to play with it a bit more. I would love to get together for some coffee! 🙂 ❤
Oh, I’m intrigued – pickled rutabaga! Is it the same as kisela repa, shredded? Because I do remember having it like that with grah. Mom used to buy it in a jar and my aunt from Gorski Kotar used to pickled it herself. I haven’t eaten it since I was a child. Let’s plan our coffee time 😀
Yep, it’s kisela repa and yes let’s plan for a coffee maybe on a Saturday?
Sibella, you are back!!! I hope you are well. Great receipe! Tried it last night and hubby gave it a thumbs up! I am curious – my mother in law adds tomato sauce to this. Your thoughts? Keep the recipes coming!!!!
Thank you! It’s good to be back! 🙂 Tomato sauce sounds good; I thought I had it in my recipe too… Have to go back and look lol