Lighter Crockpot Beef Stew
I LOOOOVE beef stew. There's something so comforting and cozy about it. However, after indulging since Thanksgiving like I may never eat food again, I wanted to find a "lite" version of beef stew recipe to try. Primavera Kitchen never fails me. In fact, it's who I got my delicious Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet recipe from, so I knew this was gonna be good and it is. It's full of vegetables, which makes it heartier in a healthier way.
Some chef notes: I only used one turnip (mainly because I didn't know it called for two), 1.25 pounds of stew meat instead of 2, and topped it all off with red pepper flakes for some heat.
Healthier Crockpot Beef Stew by Primavera Kitchen
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 turnips, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 parsnip, cut into bite-sized into pieces
½ cup tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
3 dried bay leaves
2 pounds beef stew meat, (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Place the onions, carrots, celery, red potatoes, turnips, parsnip, tomato paste, beef broth, dried thyme, dried parsley, oregano, and dried bay leaves into a large slow cooker.
Add the stew meat in a large bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Toss the meat until it is fully coated. Set the meat aside.
Over medium heat, heat the olive oil in a skillet.
Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant is released.
Add the meat and let the beef cook without stirring for a few minutes to allow the meat to brown on one side.
Stir and repeat until all sides of the beef pieces are browned.
Add the cooked beef to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the vegetables.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for five hours. After five hours, taste the stew and adjust the salt if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley.
