It's that time of year, when things cool off and we look for comfort foods to warm us and nourish us. One of our favorite comfort foods is beef stew. Our favorite classic beef stew recipe stems from a very old and popular cookbook that our founder used when first learning how to cook as a young housewife in her early twenties. As she learned more about health, she frequently had to modify recipes including this one.
Bouillon Granules vs. Meat Stock
Most beef stew recipes will call for bouillon granules, which were a staple in our house growing up. They were intended to add flavor and be a quick substitute for bone broth or meat stock. Originating in the early 16th century Britain and known as pocket soup, they were invented for the military. Made by boiling the legs and feet of cattle and then dried out. It was nutrient dense and easy for them to travel with. However, they now contain many processed ingredients and do not offer the same nutrients as homemade broth and stock. We now have so much knowledge on how nourishing broth is, so instead of using processed bouillon cubes or granules, learning how to make your own is an excellent and healing habit to get into. There are very decent store-bought brands out now such as, Bonifide provisions or Kettle and Fire.
For our homemade stock and broth recipes look out for the Soup, Stock, and Broth blog coming out soon!
