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  • 1 onion
    chopped
  • 2 celery sticks
    finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 3 carrots
    halved and cut into chunks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ pack thyme
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 beef stock cubes
    or stock pots
  • 900g beef
    for braising such as skirt, buy a whole piece and cut it yourself for bigger chunks or buy ready-diced
  • 2 tsp cornflour
    (optional)
  • ½ small bunch parsley
    chopped
  • buttery mash
    to serve (optional)

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal474
  • fat25g
  • saturates9g
  • carbs10g
  • sugars9g
    low
  • fibre4g
  • protein48g
    high
  • salt1.84g

Method

  • step 1

    Fry the onion and celery in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat until they start to soften – about 5 mins. Add the carrots, bay and thyme, fry for 2 mins, stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce, add 600ml boiling water, stir and tip everything into a slow cooker. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don’t add salt as the stock may be salty).

  • step 2

    Clean out the frying pan and fry the beef in the remaining oil in batches until it is well browned, then tip each batch into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs, or on high for 4 hrs.

  • step 3

    If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, stir and cook for a further 30 mins on high. Stir in the parsley and season again to taste. Serve with mash, if you like. Leave to cool before freezing.

RECIPE TIPS
QUICK HACK

If you are running short of time, you can put everything except the cornflour and parsley in a slow cooker without frying it first and simply switch it on. It won’t have quite the same depth of flavour, but you will still have a delicious beef stew.

Try more slow-cooker recipe inspiration from our sister title olivemagazine.com/slow-cooker-recipes.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2018

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Comments, questions and tips (221)

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Overall rating

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.529 ratings

catmhayden48962

question

Has anyone tried freezing the leftovers and having at a later date? I assume you need to fully defrost it first? How long would you heat it for? Thanks!

Kittynic

I have plenty of times! I either microwave it or I put it in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, pop a lid on with a low-to-medium heat until fully cooked. As long as it’s fully heated through (and scalding hot) you should be ok. Some of the veg can get a little softer but I don’t think…

greensladem4939868

Very tasty slow cooker beef stew, followed recipe as per ingredients except 2 tsps dried thyme instead of fresh the 2 tsps of cornflour only thicken it alittle could add alittle more. Could taste the tomato was a lovely stew - slow cooked low for 9 hours

HibiscusSunshine avatar

HibiscusSunshine

Really yummy, easy, put in slow cooker for 8 hours. Meat really tender. Made with mashed potato. Lovely, easy, tasty recipe.

Becki88SAFC

question

When would I add button mushrooms? Thanks

Kevin Hancock 1

The small magic ones are better...

cath201 avatar

cath201

Lovely warming stew, I used shin of beef and once bought up to temp cooked on low for about 7 hours.

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