Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Spring Vegetables
This post is sponsored by the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. I received monetary compensation in exchange for sharing my experience visiting a local farmer’s market and creating a savory slow cooker beef stew with beef from a local North Carolina beef farm, T-5 Farms.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
At this time of year, when the days can flip-flop from spring-like with clear skies and warm air to cold and chilly rainy days that feel more like February, there’s still justification to slow cook something cozy and savory. With the shifting weather, you never know if there’s a last chilly day around the corner and this slow cooker beef stew has the best of both seasons. With tender beef cooked low and slow in a rich gravy along with spring veggies and plenty of fresh herbs, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it recipe that simmers all day in your slow cooker.
Beef from T-5 Farms
And for this hearty stew, I turned to locally raised beef at T-5 Farms. There are so many reasons to shop local – it’s wonderful to support family-owned operations, like T-5 farms, and buy products that are produced responsibly with a lot of care.
- For this recipe, I chose stew meat which I picked up at a local farmer’s market where T-5 Farms sell their lean pasture-raised Limousin beef products (a breed of cattle that originated in France) as well as pork, chicken, and in-season fruits and vegetables.
- They are proud to offer products that are free of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
- They’ve expanded their Southern Alamance County beef operation in recent years to keep up with demand and offer a wide array of choices including ground beef, steaks, brisket, and stew meat. I picked up my beef when I met with Randy, owner of T-5 farms, a few weeks ago at the farmer’s market. He, along with his family, work hard to provide quality products and it always feels great to support a local grower.
- If you live in the Raleigh-Durham area look for Randy and T-5 Farms at the Chapel Hill Farmer’s Market, which operates year-round on Saturday mornings. But, word to the wise, get there early because they often sell out of products quickly!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Ingredients
- Rutabega: Instead of using potatoes for the stew I used rutabaga, which has a similar texture as potatoes when cooked, but is less starchy and heavy.
- Carrots
- Baby Leeks
- Garlic and yellow onion
- Tomato paste: I used 6 ounces in this recipe because it adds a deep flavor but also it helps thicken the stew as it cooks in the slow cooker.
- Beef stock
- Dried oregano
- Fresh parsley and chives add a pop of spring freshness.
The stew cooks in the slow cooker for eight hours and, when you’re ready to serve it, the beef is like butter – so tender and full of flavor. The stew is on the thicker side and begs for slices of crusty bread on the side. It’s a cozy supper for these days when we just can’t count on spring.
More North Carolina Beef Recipes
I’m proud to partner with the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences to celebrate our local growers along with other fellow bloggers located in the Raleigh-Durham area. Be sure to check out their delicious beef recipes!
- Sirloin Tip Roast with Brown Butter Mushrooms from Big Bear’s Wife and Meadow Lane Farm
- Jalapeno Popper Burger Bombs from Life of a Ginger and D’s Beef N Bees
- How to Make Albondigas in an Instant Pot from Adventures of Frugal Mom and Queen B Farms
- Smoky Beef Carnitas from Pastry Chef Online and Fickle Creek Farm
A Few More Favorite Beef Recipes
PrintSlow Cooker Beef Stew with Spring Vegetables
Cozy and comforting beef stew with rutabaga, carrots, and fresh herbs. Use a 6-quart slow cooker to simmer the stew all day until the beef is falling-apart-tender. Serve with crusty bread on the side to soak up all the gravy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups beef stock
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds stew meat, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 pound carrots, sliced into thick coins
- 1 pound of rutabagas, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 4 ounces baby leeks, white and tender green parts thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons sliced fresh chives, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the beef stock, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Set this aside while you cook the beef.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place the stew meat in an even layer in the skillet and cook it on one side until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the meat and brown it on the other side. Transfer the beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add enough of the beef stock mixture to cover the bottom of the pan and, as it simmers, scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Turn off the heat and transfer the liquid to the slow cooker along with the rest of the beef stock mixture.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, rutabaga, leeks, and oregano to the slow cooker and stir. Cover and set the slow cooker to low and cook the stew for 4 hours. After four hours, add 1 tablespoon of chives and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Stir the stew, cover it with the lid, and cook it on low for another 4 hours. To serve, garnish each serving with the rest of the fresh herbs.
Notes
The cooked stew keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days, but you may need to thin it with beef stock when you reheat it because it thickens up a lot when chilled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 43g
- Sodium: 728.3mg
- Fat: 15.8g
- Saturated Fat: 6.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 76.3g
- Fiber: 17g
- Protein: 53.2g
- Cholesterol: 107.1mg
You are not kidding about this weather. Craziness. As a matter of fact, this stew would be great tonight since it’s dreary and chilly here today. Yum!
I know what you mean about this weather! One second it’s warm and sunny and then the next day it’s cold! I love this beef stew! It looks perfect! T-5 Farms sounds amazing too!
Mmmm beef stew is a favorite comfort food of the whole family. This slow cooker beef stew looks and sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Should I cook the meat then flour it or flour it then cook it in the pan?
Hi Jack, for this recipe you don’t need to flour the beef.
I’m a sucker for a good slow cooked beef stew. Definitely one of my favorites. This looks GREAT.
So many wonderful meal ideas here! Thank you so much! I’m going to try that beef stew one tonight!
I made this and we just finished the leftovers – Really liked the recipe, especially since I didn’t think I liked rutabagas! Nice blend of flavors. I used a chuck roast that needed to come out of the freezer and it was so tender.
So glad you liked it!
When do you add the garlic? I have reread this recipe three times and do not see instructions for adding the garlic.
Sorry about that! It goes in with the other vegetables –
This is a go-to recipe in the winter for my family. Love it!