You guys. After I read The Bear and the Nightingale I could not rest until I had completed my wintery Russian experience with a bowl of stew. The characters referenced some stew-type dish as well as fresh bread I don’t know how many times. And each time they did I swear I could taste my mom’s homemade stew just waiting for me. Only problem is it was never actually waiting for me. 24 hours after I completed the book I knew I had to make it happen-the stew that is. I loved the wintery fairy tale so much and I knew this stew was going to let me relive the pleasure of reading it for just a little while longer.
Now, I have no idea where this recipe came from originally, it’s been on a card in my mom’s recipe box for well, forever. You may take a cursory glance at the ingredients (or my poor photography skills exhibited to the left) and be a little skeptical, but do not be fooled. Once the ingredients have been doing their thing in the crockpot for 5 or 6 hours you won’t believe how well it comes together. Packed with flavor and all the traditional pieces of a stew this dish is simply magical-especially if you happen to be reading The Bear and the Nightingale.
Beef Stew
2.5 lbs beef stew meet (or round steak cut into chunks)
2 Onions, sliced
3 medium Potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
6 Carrots, cut into chunks
1 C whole (or sliced) Mushrooms
1 can (8 oz.) Tomato Sauce
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Celery soup
1.5 C Water
1 pkg. Dry Onion Soup Mix
2 Bay Leaves
Place stew meat in a large casserole dish, dutch oven, or crock pot (large!). Add onions, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. In a separate bowl combine tomato sauce, both cans of soup, water, and the dry onion soup mix. Mix well and pour over meat and vegetables. Add bay leaves. Cover and bake at 250 for 5-6 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. If cooking in a crock pot cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove bay leaves and serve.