Simple Beef and Tomato Slow Cooked Stew
This simple beef and tomato slow cooked stew is a wonderful warming meal for colder months. Cheap and easy, a meal for the whole family.
This simple beef and tomato slow cooked stew was first published on my original blog, The Culinary Jumble. I’ve updated the post, including the recipe and images, slightly.
Stew is a wonderful warming meal for colder months, isn’t it? I can’t deny that baked goods reign supreme on my blog, but I do feed my kids (occasionally. If I have to). Sometimes, those meals even include vegetables and are cooked from scratch. Just joking. I cook from scratch most days. That’s why I love easy, no hassle meals. I work hard, so when I get home, I don’t want anything fussy.
This simple beef and tomato slow cooked stew is exactly that. Just through everything in, go about your day, and come back to a delicious, fairly cheap, filling meal for the whole family.
The thing I love most about this recipe is its versatility. The beauty of a slow cooker is that you can pretty much add anything. Throw in whatever vegetables you like, which is always great if you have veggies you need to use up. If you like a meat stew with tomatoes, you’ll love my shredded beef slow cooker dinner. Or, if you prefer a vegetarian option, go for my winter vegetable stew. All the flavour without the meat.
Simple Beef and Tomato Slow Cooked Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 red onion
- 1kg (approx. 2lb) beef (chopped into chunks)
- 4 shallots (chopped)
- 1 red pepper (chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 4 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 10 small potatoes (quartered)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp oregano
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 500ml (2 cups) beef stock
- 400g (14 oz) tinned tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- red wine (optional – either omit, or add as much as you like)
- 1 tbs flour (any kind)
- water (just enough to make the flour into a thick paste)
Instructions
- Chop the onions and fry in the olive oil until softened. Place in the slow cooker.
- Fry the meat, until slightly browned and also add to the slow cooker.
- Prepare the garlic, shallots, red pepper, carrots and potatoes, and also add to the rest of the ingredients.
- Sprinkle over herbs and seasoning, pour over the wine and stock, and add the tinned tomatoes.
- Stir until combined and cook on low for around 8-9 hours.
- 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, thicken the sauce with one tablespoon of flour mixed with enough water to make it into a paste.
- Stir into the stew. At this point you could also add peas or green beans, if you liked.
- Serve immediately, either on its own, or with crusty bread. Enjoy!
