Braised Beef with Sun Dried Tomatoes & White Beans
Braised beef with sun-dried tomatoes and white beans simmers chunks of beef until fork-tender in a thyme-scented broth, brightened by tangy sun-dried tomatoes and finished with creamy white beans. A rustic, one-pot Tuscan-style stew.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
20 minThis rustic braise has Tuscan soul. Chunks of beef simmer low until they pull apart, in a thyme-scented broth made tangy and deep by sun-dried tomatoes, with creamy white beans stirred in at the end.
Browning the beef first is a step worth the time, no matter how tempting it is to dump everything in at once. That hard sear builds a deeply savory crust and leaves browned drippings in the pot that flavor everything after. The onions then soften in those drippings, picking up all that flavor before the liquid goes in.
Sun-dried tomatoes are the secret ingredient. As the beef braises for over an hour, they soften and release their concentrated, almost jammy tomato intensity into the broth, a flavor you can’t get from fresh tomatoes. The white beans go in last so they warm through and stay intact rather than turning to mush.
A scatter of fresh thyme leaves at the end keeps it bright.
Chef Tips
- Brown the beef hard on all sides. That crust and the drippings are the flavor foundation.
- Keep the braise at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, so the beef turns tender instead of tough.
- Add the beans only at the end so they heat through without breaking down.
Variations
- Stir in spinach or kale with the beans for greens.
- Use cannellini, navy, or great northern beans, whatever white bean you have.
- Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread to soak up the broth.
Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 medium onions cut into 1/2 inch wedges
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, halved
8 sprigs fresh thyme, plus leaves for serving
1 15.5 oz cand white beans, rinsed
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season beef with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add onions and the remaining tablespoon of oil to the drippings in the pot and cook, tossing occasionally, until beginning to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broth, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until beef is tender, 1 to 1¼ hours. Add beans and cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
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