Easy Slow Cooker Beef and Root Vegetable Stew

This beef and root vegetable stew is exactly the sort of slow cooker dinner I start thinking about when the weather turns colder. There’s nothing complicated about it: beef, plenty of vegetables and a rich gravy, all left to cook slowly until everything is tender.

I use casserole beef with carrots, parsnips, celery, leeks and onions, so you get plenty of vegetables in every bowl without needing to make lots of separate side dishes.

It’s also one of my easier slow cooker recipes because I don’t brown the beef first. You can if you particularly want to, but I’ve made this by putting everything straight into the slow cooker and I’m perfectly happy with the result.

It cooks for around seven hours on LOW, then I thicken the gravy with a little cornflour towards the end.

If you’ve just made my Guinness lamb stew, this is quite a nice alternative. It’s another proper cold-weather stew with root vegetables, but the flavours are much simpler and there’s no alcohol involved.

What goes into my beef and root vegetable stew?

I use 800g casserole beef for six portions. You don’t need an expensive cut of beef for a slow cooker stew; this is exactly the sort of recipe where casserole beef works well because it has plenty of time to cook.

For the vegetables, I use carrots, parsnips, celery, leeks and brown onions.

The carrots and parsnips bring a little natural sweetness, while the leeks, onions and celery help give the gravy more flavour. Cut everything into fairly chunky pieces so you’re still left with recognisable vegetables after seven hours in the slow cooker.

The sauce is very simple: tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock.

Then I use a little cornflour towards the end to turn the cooking liquid into a thicker gravy.

Do I need to brown the beef first?

No. I don’t think you need to add another pan to the washing-up pile just for the sake of it.

I put the casserole beef straight into the slow cooker with the vegetables and stock.

If you prefer browning beef first, you absolutely can. It’ll add a little extra colour and flavour, but the recipe still works without doing it.

For me, part of the appeal of a slow cooker dinner is being able to get everything in there quickly and get on with my day.

How long does beef stew take in the slow cooker?

I cook this for around seven hours on LOW.

Cut the vegetables into reasonably similar-sized chunks, trim any obvious excess fat from the beef and put everything except the cornflour into the slow cooker.

Then leave it alone.

About half an hour before you’re ready to eat, mix the cornflour with a little cold water until smooth. Stir this into the stew, switch the slow cooker to HIGH and let the gravy thicken for the final 30 minutes.

What if my slow cooker beef stew is too watery?

This is one of the most common problems with slow cooker recipes because very little liquid evaporates while the lid is on.

That’s why I only use 400ml of water to make the beef stock for this recipe even though there’s a lot of meat and vegetables.

The cornflour at the end should thicken the cooking liquid into a gravy. If yours still looks thinner than you’d like, give it a little longer on HIGH.

Don’t immediately pour lots more cornflour into it. Give the first lot time to work before deciding it needs more.

Can I make this stew vegetarian?

You could use the basic idea to make a vegetarian root vegetable stew, but it wouldn’t simply be a case of removing the beef and calling it done.

You’d need to use vegetable stock and replace the Worcestershire sauce with a vegetarian alternative such as Henderson’s Relish.

I’d also add something more substantial in place of the beef rather than just adding extra carrots. Beans, lentils or a meat-free alternative would make it feel much more like a proper meal.

I’ve been vegetarian since I was 10, so I’m all for adapting meat recipes when it makes sense, but sometimes a proper vegetarian recipe is better than simply taking the meat out of one!

What should I serve with beef stew?

This is already quite a filling meal because you’ve got beef and lots of root vegetables in the bowl, so you don’t necessarily need anything else.

That said, dumplings are lovely with it if you fancy proper comfort food. If the dumplings in my photos have already made you hungry, I can’t blame you!

Crusty bread is another easy option because it’s perfect for mopping up the gravy.

You could serve it with mashed potatoes too, although personally I’d probably choose either mash or dumplings rather than piling every carbohydrate I can find into the same bowl. Unless it’s been a particularly bad day, obviously.

Can I make this stew ahead?

Yes, and this is exactly the sort of recipe I’d make extra portions of rather than running the slow cooker for seven hours for one dinner.

Leftovers can be portioned up once they’ve cooled appropriately and stored in the fridge or freezer.

The vegetables may become slightly softer after freezing and reheating, but in a stew that doesn’t particularly bother me.

When reheating, make sure the beef, vegetables and gravy are thoroughly heated all the way through.

For current advice on cooling, storing and reheating leftovers safely, check the Food Standards Agency guidance.

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