Beef stew is instantly tastier with 1 added ingredient

You can add one ingredient to beef stew to instantly improve the flavour. The cosy dish is a favourite for many British households around this time of the year. In 2025, we suspect it will be a good comfort for Brits dealing with the cold and harsh weather we expect. Food really doesn't get more wholesome and comforting than a good beef stew. Add a bit of bread for dipping and it is unstoppable.

The secret ingredient? It's tomato paste. Beef stew normally consists of beef, of course, as well as beef stock, carrots, onions and other seasonal vegetables. Of course, there are seasonings on top of that, which are often things like thyme and parsley, staples in British cuisine. But experts explain why tomato paste might just be the key ingredient to bring your beef stew to the next level, giving you a simple yet delicious meal to look forward to every week after coming in from the cold.

Esteemed food writer Megan O. Steintrager has shared her reason for including tomato paste in her beef stew. Sharing her method on All Recipes, she revealed: "Luckily, long ago I discovered a budget-friendly and simple pantry ingredient that takes my beef stew to the next level.

"A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavour of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable."

To make her beef stew, she uses olive oil, cubed beef, garlic, red wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, 1 onion, a bay leaf, dried thyme, carrots, small red potatoes, frozen peas and chopped parsley.

She explains: "I start by browning the meat in oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, then remove the meat from the pan and brown the aromatics like onions and garlic. I add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, which I cook for a few minutes before deglazing the pan with wine and proceeding with the recipe.

"The key to using tomato paste in beef stew and other braises is to cook it briefly, rather than just globbing it into the liquid." She also revealed that tomato paste is a handy addition for things like Beef and Guinness Pie and Beef Bourguignon.