Easy, hearty, and delicious, this Copycat Harris Ranch Chuck Wagon Stew is pure comfort on a cold winter day!
Unless you live in California, are in the restaurant business, or a beef connoisseur, you’re probably not too familiar with Harris Ranch. But for those of us who spent a good chunk of our childhood traveling I-5 from Northern California to Southern California to visit their grandparents, we’re very familiar with it.
There’s a portion of I-5 that travelers refer to as The Grapevine. It’s long…and boring. Harris Ranch is conveniently located off I-5, where tons of people stop to grab a bite to eat before they have to hit the road again. It’s changed a lot since the 70’s, when I was growing up. This family run cattle ranch is now the largest agribusinesses in the nation, with a resort and restaurant.
This chuck wagon stew is a staple on their menu.
We were at my parent’s house over the weekend celebrating Haley’s birthday and my mom served it for lunch.
I can’t remember what the restaurant version tastes like, so I really had nothing to compare it to. I just knew it was delicious! Pure comfort food while winter is still pounding us.
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How To Make This Chuck Wagon Stew Recipe
Chuck Wagon Stew (Harris Ranch Copycat)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup small diced sweet onion
- 1 cup small diced celery
- 1 cup small diced carrots
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup small diced potato
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 15 ounce can diced petite tomatoes , undrained
- 32 ounce carton low-sodium vegetable broth (or beef broth)
- 1/2 cup frozen baby peas , thawed
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots; saute for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
- Add in the ground beef and cook, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 3 minutes. Season with a few more dashes of salt and pepper. Drain off fat, if necessary.
- Add in the potato, tomato paste, beef bullion, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, canned tomatoes with their juice, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, but not mushy, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in peas and warm through.
- Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Can eat soup every day!
I made this tonight and it was great! I usually don’t like ground beef, but the lean was very good.
We frequent Harris Ranch when we do the “grandparents” visit as well….to and from SoCal / NoCal on I-5. My boys love the chuckwagon soup at Harris Ranch. One thing I noticed though is that Harris Ranch uses small chunks of beef….maybe cut into 1/2″ x 1/2″ cubes. Their soup didn’t use ground beef. Is this something that’s changed since the ’70s? Just curious if they made it with ground beef back then and have you tried this recipe with cubes of beef instead of ground.
I’ve only made this with ground beef, but I’m sure cubes of beef would be wonderful, too!
Personal choice
What a fantastic recipe! Made it for lunch today and even though I didn’t have fish sauce or Worcestershire it came out fantastic!! I had seasoned diced tomatoes and used them. This recipe will be added to our soup rotation for sure!! Thanks so much for sharing. And too my batch looked just like the picture and I love when that happens.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this, Linda!
What is fish sauce?
It’s a dark colored liquid made from salted fermented fish. It’s a staple in Thai (and most Asian) cuisine, which ads a depth of flavor. You can find it at your local grocery store with the Asian food or with the other condiments.
My family and I just ate at Harris Ranch and had their chuckwagon soup 3 days ago. They not only used ground beef but also cubes of zucchini in the soup on top of the carrots, potatoes and onions…it was DELICIOUS!
Can I sub the fish sauce?
I know The Grapevine but never knew about any stops. We just drove straight through every time. This may have to be another addition to my weeknight repertoire!
I am dumbfounded by this!
Super…never would have thought of fish sauce
…use it for Thai recipes..but will definitely use it next time.. for this recipe. Btw .no trip along Rte 5 is without a stop at Harris Ranch..
Nope. I think it’s required. Unless you’re Melissa (above) ^^^ HA.
I just came back to copy this recipe down for my menu planning and saw your replies disparaging me and my good sense. ;) <3 Can't wait to try this next week!