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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.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Browning Time 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

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

Method
 

Browning the Beef
  1. 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
  1. Turn the slow cooker to high. Add the potatoes, leeks, carrots, swede, and onion evenly into the base of the slow cooker.
  2. Whisk the tomato paste into the beef stock and pour it over the vegetables. Add the bay leaves and grape-based cooking reduction.
  3. Transfer the browned beef into the slow cooker. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Slow Cooking and Finishing
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.