Has anyone ever made beef stew with just water?

The best way is to coat seasoned beef with flour lightly and brown till golden brown on all sides then cover with enough water to cover beef .Simmer at least 2-3 hrs then check for tenderness .I also like to add a red wine but it is not necessary .

Nico's advice is excellent.Some red wine vinegar will help tenderize the meat, like wine does. Also, some stores sell unsalted stock if you can use that.

Absolutely! Just brown up your beef bits with whatever veggies you have (onions and carrots being the obvious choices), then add the desired amount of water along with whatever flavoring components you would have added to your broth. I like garlic, thyme, and a little squeeze of tomato paste if you have it. It makes the stew rich like it would be with homemade broth. Hope this helps! Dietary restrictions can be a bummer, but you can still make it delicious for him.

Go ahead and use the water, but try to add ingredients that will boost the flavor--onions, garlic, herbs, and mushrooms should help. If you can use wine in place of the water that would be very good.

Homemade broth I mean