Description
This Hearty Ground Venison Stew is rustic comfort food at its finest—tender vegetables, fragrant herbs, and rich ground venison simmered together in a red wine and stock base until perfectly flavorful. It’s the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out on a cold evening.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground venison
- 5 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 stalks celery, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large sprig rosemary, leaves minced (discard stem)
- 1 large sprig thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 quart unsalted chicken or beef stock
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- 12 turns fresh-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Brown the Venison: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the ground venison and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pot, add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 6–8 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Deglaze: Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let simmer for 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Simmer the Stew: Return venison to the pot along with rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, potatoes, stock, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Cook: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded.
- Finish & Serve: Remove bay leaves and thyme sprig. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot with crusty bread.
Notes
- If the stew is too thin, simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes to reduce and thicken.
- You can substitute venison with lean ground beef or turkey if desired.
- Add mushrooms or parsnips for extra earthiness and depth of flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 920mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 55mg