Beef and Butternut Stew with Pear and Thyme

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Not too many things feel quite as fall-like as the appearance of butternut squash at the market. Here I use it to give heartiness and texture to a beef stew, adding a little pear for sweetness and some cinnamon and thyme for flavor. It is hard not to make a lot of this considering the size of an average butternut squash is quite large – I like to freeze the leftovers for those days that I don’t want to (or feel well enough to) cook. This recipe makes a pot full, so don’t be afraid to halve it if you don’t want so much at once.


4.8 from 10 reviews
Beef and Butternut Stew with Pear and Thyme
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1½ tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2-3 pound roast or stew meat (I used sirloin tip) cut into 1½" cubes
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 inch piece ginger, minced
  • 2 cups bone broth
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 pears, chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat and brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the pot, and turn the heat down to medium.
  2. Add the onion and cook for about five minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for another couple of minutes, being careful to stir them gently so that they don't burn. Add the bone broth or stock and the browned meat to the pot, and bring to a simmer on low. Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes, making sure to keep it at a simmer.
  3. Add the butternut squash, cinnamon, and sea salt and simmer covered another 15 minutes.
  4. Now add the pears and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the meat and squash are both tender.
  5. In a small skillet, heat the rest of the coconut oil on high heat and cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until browned and tender. When the stew is done, garnish with sautéed mushrooms and fresh thyme.

About Mickey Trescott

Mickey Trescott is a co-founder here at Autoimmune Wellness and a co-teacher of AIP Certified Coach. After recovering from her own struggle with both Celiac and Hashimoto’s disease, adrenal fatigue, and multiple vitamin deficiencies, Mickey started to write about her experience to share with others and help them realize they are not alone in their struggles. She has a Master's degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Nutrition, and is the author of three best-selling books--The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook, and The Nutrient-Dense Kitchen. You can watch her AIP cooking demos by following her on Instagram.

62 comments

  • Catherine says

    Yum! Just made this, it was delicious.

  • Kc says

    How important is pear to the flavor? I’m going fruit free.

  • Tracy says

    I’ve made this a few times and we love it! I was thinking of following the same recipe but with pork and apple…do you think I could use the same cooking time for pork as with the beef?

    • autoimmunepaleo says

      I bet it would be great! Let me know if you do try it and it is yummy 🙂

  • maryann says

    Thank you for this!! I’ve been searching for a tomato-free beef stew recipe, made this last night and it was really delicious.

  • Melanie Fay says

    I made this for lunch today sans squash and mushrooms (didn’t feel like going to the store). It was delicious and super easy! I loved how well the delicate flavors mixed together and plan to make this the next time I have company. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    • Mickey says

      I am glad you liked it, Melanie! I am happy for it to cool off again so I can get it into the rotation. It is one of my favorite fall dishes 🙂

  • stephanie says

    yum! I made this last night and it is delicious!

  • Diane says

    Can you use organic purchased Broth? Any reasons Not to..I saw Costco carries this.
    Also any suggestions if you are allergic to mushrooms or is it just as good without?

    • Mickey says

      I would not – bone both is one of the healing components of the autoimmune protocol. Commercially made broths are not the same. You can easily leave out the mushrooms and it will taste fine 🙂

      • Annette says

        I didn’t have bone broth so I made it with purchased broth. The stew lacks depth and some flavor. Based on the earlier comments I would say bone broth is essential. Also, It didn’t seem to make enough broth using two cups. I had to add beef broth to the pot in an attempt to gain more liquid. What do you think I did wrong?

        • Mickey says

          Hi Annette,
          You are right, replacing bone broth with store bought broth is not a good idea – it does not come out nearly as nourishing and healthy that way! I’m not sure why you ended up with less liquid, and you should have had enough as long as your measurements of the other ingredients were correct. Maybe your squash was quite large, or you added too much of something along the way?

          Hope you have better luck next time!

          Mickey

  • Amena says

    Does mushrooms contribute to yeast overgrowth?

    • Mickey says

      It is a complicated question. I think if you haven’t been tested and diagnosed with a yeast overgrowth, they are fine, meaning no need to avoid them just because they *might* contribute to it. They can be avoided for those on a protocol to starve out yeast. Hope it helps!

  • […] Beef and Butternut Stew from Autoimmune-Paleo – Slightly sweet and very satisfying. I made it with grass-fed stew beef from my favorite farmer. […]

  • jgirl says

    I can’t believe I haven’t put this together yet!! Going to try it immediately 😉

  • Paula says

    Can this recipe be made in a crock pot?

    • Mickey says

      Paula, I am sure it can, but I do not own one and have not tried it myself. Let me know if you do find the settings that come out well and I will add it to the recipe!

    • Rox G says

      It would be great to have an Instant Pot version for this recipe.

  • Nora says

    Hi, can you show us the pot you use and maybe where to buy one? Id love to make this and I dont think I have a heavy bottomed pot. Thanks!

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  • Liv says

    Yumo! Thank you for posting this recipe.

    I made it last night because I just happened to have all ingredients on hand, and I am now enjoying a hot cup of it for breakfast (it is cool here this morning in Australia).

    I too think it will be delicious made with Pork and Apple as Tracy has suggested and will definitely try it as well.

    Thanks again for a great recipe, just starting to get my head around AIP and this site is just wonderful Mickey!

  • Veronica says

    Can I still make bone broth without the pressure cooker by simply boiling them?

    • Mickey says

      Veronica, yes, but you need to boil them at least 12 hours. There are many tutorials online–look up the Weston A. Price foundation for great broth making resources!

  • Megan says

    I made this, along with the morrocan lamb from the book- but all my liquid reduced! What did i do wrong? Too hot? Covered too long?

    • Mickey says

      Megan,
      It sounds like you are cooking it too hot, the liquid should not all reduce. Try for a bare simmer, so it is just barely bubbling, covered. That will keep the moisture in.

      Hope it helps!

      Mickey

  • Debby Burke says

    Oh my goodness! This was so delicious! I subbed lemongrass since I can’t do garlic or onion. The flavors blended so well I plan to make this for our next family get together. This will be a staple in my menus, thank you so much!

  • Julie says

    This tastes so wonderful, I could cry!

  • Amanda says

    I noticed someone asking if this would work in a crockpot. I made this yesterday and just put all the ingredients in at once (except for the pears–I added those the last 30 minutes) and set it at low (10 hours). It was amazing!!

  • […] Butternut Squash, Pear and Sage Beef Stew has been my and Eli’s lunch for days. […]

  • Suzanne says

    I’m trying to stay away from garlic and onions. I can’t find green garlic (paleo mom) can you suggest any other seasoning. Much appreciated!!!

  • […] time planning meals ahead and the only things I tend to cook in larger batches are bone broth and stew. I store bone broth and stew in glass jars in the refrigerator or freezer. But to be completely […]

  • Jill says

    I made this tonight. Certainly not ingredients I would have given thought to putting together. Browned the meat in the pressure cooker. Then sauteed the onions, garlic, ginger and mushrooms. Put it all in the pressure cooker and cooked for 10 minutes. Should have done 8ish minutes. Delish!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Jill,
      Thanks for sharing how you made it in the pressure cooker!

  • Julie says

    This recipe is a winner! I wasn’t so sure as I was making it with the smell of the meat, etc. cooking but it turned out wonderful!! It will be a regular addition to our menu.

  • Diane Roberts says

    I thought that Cinnamon was on the list of spices to avoid. I was surprised to see it listed in this recipe. Please advise if this is a spice to avoid.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Diane, cinnamon is AIP legal as long as you tolerate it!

  • Beth says

    Sounds good. I am going to try it with boneless, skinless chicken breast.

  • Danielle Wilson says

    I just made this tonight for my mom to bring in to the hospital for me (surgery tomorrow). This soup is amazing!! 💕💕💕

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Wishing you a good recovery Danielle!

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  • Amanda Stoner says

    This is one of my favorite AIP recipes that I come back to again and again! I’ve used apples instead of pear if I didn’t have pear on hand, and stirred in some baby spinach at the end when I didn’t have mushrooms. But the sauteed mushrooms add so much good flavor and texture! Making this tonight for some company, and I can’t wait to eat it!!!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      I’m so glad you love it Amanda, and great additions!

  • Tyson says

    Amazing Stew! I loved the seasonal flavors. An amazing firefighter friend of mine ; ) made it for us at the station and now I can’t wait to make it for my wife.

    Thanks for sharing.

  • Amy says

    Do the pears need to be ripe or can they be a bit underripe?

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Amy, I think they will be fine if they are a bit underripe!

      • Amy says

        Thanks for the quick reply! Maybe you can help me with another question. I have soup bones that are cut into rounds with meat on them and I was hoping to use them for this recipe but I’m a bit intimidated. I don’t want the bones to overwhelm the flavor and I usually roast them for an hour and then use them. Should I do the same and just add the cooked meat to the soup later on in the recipe?

        • Mickey Trescott says

          Amy, you could use those bones for this recipe, but you might be disappointed in the amount of meat it will yield. I think you’d be better off using them for a hearty batch of broth and then using that to make this recipe.

  • Laurie says

    Made this tonight and found your mention for leftovers very funny 🤣 because there weren’t any! The flavors of this fall stew blend together seemlessly. This one has already been requested again for next week’s meal plan! Stew-pendous! 💜

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Laurie – ha! I’m so happy it was a hit!

  • Linda Kuo says

    Just made this it’s so delicious! I have been vegan for over 28 years and it was very difficult for me to go back to meat. In fact, eating meat when I was younger led to health issues but now that I’m older, I need meat. Thank you for making it approachable. For all your content, information, dedication to the AI community, and delicious recipes!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Linda! Thanks so much for the feedback, I’m glad you are enjoying the website!

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