The New Year always brings a higher level of excitement and activity to our lives, as we get back to school, homework, sports, and of course, all of our various church ministries! So, what’s a busy mom to do?
I recommend breaking out the crockpot and filling it full of real food ingredients on those especially busy days. That way, you can focus your energy on the tasks for the day, knowing that a healthy home-cooked meal awaits you and your family.
This classic comfort dish is made using grassfed beef chuck, which is one of the best choices for making beef stew. The fat content in beef chuck actually lends itself well to slow cooking, resulting in delectable fork-tenderness and rich flavor. So for this reason, I do not recommend substituting with a leaner cut of beef.
Pair this hearty beef stew with my light and fluffy Garden Herb Biscuits for the perfect wintertime meal that warms the tummy and the soul!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs *grassfed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp organic tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I prefer Bariani balsamic vinegar
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- 1 1/3 cup beef stock (homemade is best)
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small sprig fresh rosemary (or 1/4 tsp dried rosemary)
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 lbs small white or red potatoes, peeled & cut in half
- 5-6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
- Optional: 1-2 tbsp arrowroot powder
Instructions
- Cut beef chuck into 2-inch chunks (do not trim off fat for best flavor). Place the beef chunks in a 6-quart slow cooker and generously season with about a half-teaspoon of sea salt and a half-teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
- Next, add the tomato paste, vinegar and beef stock. Use a wooden spoon to combine.
- Then, add the garlic, bay leaf and rosemary. Top with the chopped onion, potatoes and carrots in that order. Do not stir.
- Cover slow cooker; cook on high until beef is fork-tender, about 5 hours (or cook on low heat about 7-8 hours).
- During last 30-45 minutes of cook time, stir the green beans into the stew. If you’d like to thicken up the broth, just before serving, add about 1-2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, making sure to thoroughly stir it into the stew.
- Serve with crusty bread topped with butter, or my yummy Garden Herb Biscuits.
Notes
*Grassfed beef is a much healthier choice than commercially-produced beef. If you cannot find grassfed beef at your local markets, U.S. Wellness Meats carries a wide selection.
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I made this today and it came out great – thank you for another winning recipe. Other than substituting peas for green beans, I followed the recipe exactly. I spent less than 20 minutes preparing the stew this morning, which left me plenty of time before dinner to make the garden herb biscuits. The end product was simple yet full of flavor, I will definitely be making this again (and again).
Awesome, Liz! So glad you enjoyed it as much as we do. I truly appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
I made this last night and my husband commented that it is the best I had ever made. I would have to agree with him. It was delicious! I added some Thyme and Sage to the mix and it added a nice depth of flavor. We also enjoyed the Garden Herb Biscuits. I loved the technique of layering the potatoes and carrots. They weren’t soggy like they are when everything is mixed together.
I am really enjoying your site and agree with you fully in giving thanks to the Lord for all the bounteous things he has blessed us with, eating what He has created for our health and well being and then extending those blessings to those around us. Thanks 🙂
So glad you and your hubby enjoyed this recipe, Tamara! Love your idea of adding Thyme and Sage – I’ll have to try that! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a kind and encouraging note! Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Another awesome recipe! Thank you! We had it on Easter and it was SO tender. Making again this week!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a kind note, Christina! So glad you all enjoy this too – it’s one of my go-to recipes for company as well – so easy! That way, there’s lots of time to chat and little mess to deal with after dinner 🙂
Hi Kelly,
I’m from Australia and I found your site this morning while I was searching ideas for soaking oats…..then I realised you are a Christian woman too. Awesome, praise God. In fact, it has been happening to me quite a bit lately, I google whatever I am interested in and a lot of the time my search leads me straight to a Christian website/blog…..and I love that because I know I am reading the thoughts and ideas of someone with the same Spirit!
Anyway, after reading all about soaking grains, and then reading all the further information in the comments section below, I felt satisfied…..so I moved around your site a bit and found this lovely stew recipe.
I have a couple of questions since I am not used to cooking with a slow cooker (I have one, just don’t use it)…..you don’t seem to recommend browning the meat first before placing it in the slow cooker…..is that correct, you just place the raw meat straight in? In all other slow cooker recipes I have read, they recommend browning the meat first.
Also, does grass fed chuck take the same amount of time to slow cook/tenderise as non grass fed chuck…..or do you think it takes a little longer since grass fed meats are generally not as tender as grain fed meats.
Thanks for receiving my comment and questions!
Bless you heaps, Susan
Hi, Susan. Welcome to The Nourishing Home. I just love that the Lord is leading you to Christian sites all around the globe – what a great God we serve! Thank you for sharing that – it truly blessed my heart to hear!
With regard to this recipe, I use grassfed meats, so if you’re using them as well, then simply follow the suggested cook times here. If you are not using grassfed beef, then you may want to check the meat at the 4.5 hour mark. The issue with grassfed beef is that it’s lower in fat content, so if not cooked properly, it can turn out tough and dry. So when it comes to tougher cuts of beef, low and slow is definitely a good way to go.
And regarding your question about browning, I purposefully didn’t brown the meat because I didn’t want the extra step and dishes, I wanted to see if it was possible to have a good beef stew without the extra step. And (in my opinion) despite the lack of browning, this stew turns out very rich and delicious – the balsamic vinegar really helps to tenderize the meat and deepen the flavor.
I hope you and your family enjoy it as well! Thanks again for taking the time to write. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
This was AMAZING! I loved this, in fact, everyone loved it!!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note, Heather! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it too! Many blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hi Kelly,
I found your recipe on Zip List. Is it possible to freeze this meal and then cook it? Would I need to brown the beef before freezing or could I put raw meat in the same bag as the veggies?
Hi, Virginia! Welcome! So glad you found my site – was this actual recipe on Ziplist? Anyway, I haven’t tried freezing the ingredients and then cooking, but it’s an excellent idea. I’m sure it would work quite well, as I do this with my Crockpot Sweet & Spicy Chicken recipe. You just may need to extend the cook time a bit. I would check the meat at the suggested time in the recipe and then cook a little longer if it needs extra time to finish cooking through. And yes, you can place the veggies and meat together into the same bag and freeze. Just be sure to freeze the ingredients in a way that they’ll fit evenly in your crockpot. I do this by using a plastic bowl that is slightly smaller in diameter than my crockpot. Hope this helps! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
I just tried this for the first time today, and it was so yummy! After having tried many crockpot beef stew recipes over the years and never being very happy, I was quite excited to discover this simple and delicious version and will be sharing it on my blog’s FB page. 🙂 Thanks, as always, for healthy and great recipes Kelly!
Thanks, Krista. You are more than welcome to share a link to the recipe on your FB page and may use the photo there as well. Thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it. Many blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hi Kelly,
I made this stew recipe for dinner this evening. It smelled wonderful cooking all day. The flavor was equally as delicious! I have never seen balsamic vinegar in a stew recipe, but it turned out to be a great ingredient. Yum! This was perfect for our rainy, chilly day.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Andrea, you are so kind – thanks for your sweet note! I am so happy your family enjoyed this recipe. I can’t take credit for the balsamic, I saw that in a cooking magazine that acids such as vinegars and wines really help to create tender beef. So I decided to give it a go in the crockpot. Those pro chefs are right, what a nice flavor and great way to ensure tender meat. Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
I am SO glad that I found this blog. Not only does it have delicious and healthy meal choices, but it is also run by a Christian home… AWESOME! This is now our go-to stew recipe. My husband loves it AND the biscuits too! We will be making it again soon. Thank you so much for your delightful ministry! God Bless from one cooking Jesus lover to another! 🙂
Welcome, Reena! I’m so glad the Lord led you here as well! Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind note. I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes and that your husband is as well. Many blessings to you as well, sister! 🙂 Kelly
Simple is usually best, thank you for another simple, delicious recipe.
Thank you, Sharon, for your kind words! 🙂