Savory Vegetable Beef Stew

3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

⅓ cup Italian salad dressing

2 cups water

2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef broth

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 small potatoes, quartered

6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 onion, chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cold water

Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir beef stew meat and Italian dressing until meat is evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water, beef bouillon, diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato sauce, garlic, bay leaf, salt, oregano, and pepper to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Place potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, and onion in stew; cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

Combine flour and cold water in a small bowl; mix until smooth. Stir flour mixture into stew, bring to a boil; cook and stir until stew is thickened, about 2 minutes. Discard bay leaf before serving.