Chuck Wagon Stew
Updated
Updated
Easy, hearty, and delicious, this Chuck Wagon Stew is loaded with ground beef, veggies, and a rich broth. Pure comfort on a chilly day!
More beef stew recipes we can’t get enough of are our traditional beef stew and slow cooker beef stew – both are incredible and come with many five-star reviews!!
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Copycat Harris Ranch Beef Stew Recipe
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. It’s loaded with ground beef, tender vegetables, and a rich broth.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you need to make this easy hamburger soup recipe.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Ground beef – I use lean ground beef 80/20.
- Veggies – Onion, celery, carrots, and potato, all diced small. And some frozen (thawed) baby peas.
- Olive oil – For flavor and to sauté the beef and vegetables.
- Canned diced tomatoes – Diced petite tomatoes along with their liquid.
- Tomato paste – Adds rich, tomato flavor.
- Beef bouillon – To season the broth.
- Fish sauce – This is savory, salty, full of umami flavor. It doesn’t taste fishy. If it concerns you though, you can use soy sauce instead.
- Worcestershire sauce – Provides a deep umami flavor.
- Broth – Beef or vegetable broth both work in this stew. I use low-sodium to cut back on the saltiness.
- Seasonings – Simple salt and pepper season the stew.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is very hearty on its own, but we love it served with crusty bread, like my Dutch oven bread, to soak up all that delicious broth. If you want to go the soup and salad combo route, try a simple side salad or caesar salad.
Video: Chuckwagon Stew
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze. Let cool completely, then freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. Reheat leftover stew on the stovetop or gently in the microwave.
More Hearty Soup Recipes:
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Chuck Wagon Stew
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, (or low-sodium soy 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!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
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!