Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Potatoes and Root Vegetables
This slow cooker beef stew is a rich, comforting, and hearty one-pot meal made with tender stewing beef, baby potatoes, and classic root vegetables simmered slowly in a deeply savory beef broth. Perfect for busy days, this recipe delivers fall-apart beef, balanced seasoning, and a naturally thickened gravy that tastes even better the next day. Ideal for family dinners, meal prep, or cold-weather comfort food cravings.
Ingredients
Meat
- 750 g stewing beef cut into large dice
- 2 tbsp olive oil for browning beef
Vegetables
- 300 g baby potatoes scrubbed, skins on
- 90 g leeks sliced
- 130 g carrots peeled and sliced
- 130 g swede or turnip peeled and diced
- 130 g onion diced
Liquids and Seasoning
- 570 ml beef stock low sodium preferred
- 30 g tomato paste
- 150 ml grape-based cooking reduction
- 2 bay leaves
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Thickening
- 2 tsp corn flour or starch
- 20 ml cold water for slurry
Instructions
Browning the Beef
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the diced beef in batches and brown on all sides until lightly caramelized.
Assembling the Stew
- Turn the slow cooker to high. Add the potatoes, leeks, carrots, swede, and onion evenly into the base of the slow cooker.
- Whisk the tomato paste into the beef stock and pour it over the vegetables. Add the bay leaves and grape-based cooking reduction.
- Transfer the browned beef into the slow cooker. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Slow Cooking and Finishing
- Once the stew begins to gently simmer, reduce the slow cooker to low. Cover with the lid and cook for 3 to 4 hours until the beef is tender.
- Mix the corn flour with cold water to form a slurry. Stir it into the stew and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve hot.
Notes
- Cut all vegetables into similar sizes for even cooking.
- The stew thickens more as it cools, so adjust consistency before serving.
- This recipe is ideal for a 2.5-liter capacity slow cooker.