Ingredients:

• 1 lb stew beef 
• 1 tbsp garlic (normally cooks in with the beef)
• 1 tbsp Canola Oil (to cook the beef in)
• 3 carrots
• 4 stalks celery
• 4 to 5 chopped potatoes
• 6 cups beef broth (6 tsp beef bouillons added to 6 cups warm water)
• 2 bay leaves (for the flavor)
• 2 tsp cornstarch or 2 tbsp flour ( you can add more or less depending on how thick you like your broth)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Cut up your meat until you have bite size pieces
2. Saute your meat in Olive oil and optional minced garlic if you choose to include into a medium to large size pot.
3. As you are sautéing your meat, start to chop up your carrots, celery, and potatoes.
4. Once your meat is brown on the outside and slightly runny with blood on the inside, take it out of the pot and put it into a separate bowl. 
5. Add all of your vegetables into the pot where your meat was sautéed for a few minutes as you make and add 6 cups of beef broth into your pot. 
6. Add your two bay leaves into the pot and your sautéed meat and bring to a boil. 
7. Once you have reached a boil you can add cornstarch or flour to your soup to thicken it if you desire (I typically prefer a thick stew while my dad prefers to add no thickener to it at all.)
8. Lower to a simmer for about 30 minutes and your stew should thicken as it cools. Add salt and pepper to taste and proportion to your liking. Enjoy!