Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Root Vegetables Recipe
A hearty and comforting Slow Cooker Beef Stew with a medley of root vegetables including potatoes, parsnips, and carrots. This recipe features tender browned beef simmered with aromatic herbs and fresh green beans, perfect for a cozy meal that requires minimal hands-on time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-8 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes to 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Oil
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil, divided
Vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 12 ounces potatoes (yellow, red, or russet), scrubbed clean and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 ¼ cups)
- 8 ounces parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups, may use frozen)
Liquids and Seasonings
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (may substitute 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped)
- Fine salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional Thickener
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2–3 tablespoons water (for slurry)
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef stew meat and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
- Add Vegetables and Liquids: To the slow cooker, add the diced onion, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, minced garlic, canned diced tomatoes with liquid, beef broth, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Stir ingredients to combine evenly.
- Cook the Stew: Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook on LOW heat for 8 hours or on HIGH heat for 4 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the beef to become tender.
- Add Green Beans: Stir in the green beans during the last 30 to 60 minutes of cooking. Cook until the green beans are tender; fresh green beans will need closer to 60 minutes, while frozen may be done in 30.
- Season and Adjust: Season the stew with fine salt and black pepper to taste. If desired, proceed to thicken the stew.
- Optional Thickening: To thicken the stew, combine 1/4 cup cornstarch with 2-3 tablespoons water, stirring to form a smooth slurry. Remove 1 to 1 1/2 cups of broth from the slow cooker and heat it in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the mixture thickens. Slowly drizzle the hot thickened broth back into the slow cooker, stirring to incorporate. Cover and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes to thicken the stew fully.
Notes
- For best flavor, brown the beef in batches rather than overcrowding the pan.
- Choose fresh green beans if possible for better texture, but frozen works fine.
- The optional cornstarch step can be skipped if you prefer a thinner broth.
- You can substitute fresh herbs for dried but adjust quantities accordingly.
- Make sure to cut all vegetables to similar sizes for even cooking.
- This stew tastes even better the next day as flavors continue to develop.
Keywords: beef stew, slow cooker stew, root vegetables, hearty dinner, comfort food, easy slow cooker recipe
