Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup

Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup

Of all the soups I’ve made over the years (I’m really starting to push 40… hard), this soup is without a doubt the best one I’ve made.  The beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the vegetables are seasoned to perfection.  This soup is definitely a perk or highlight to the cold crappy weather of winter.

Serves 8

½ tbsp (salted) butter

½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

453 g (1 lb) Stewing beef cubes

½ tsp salt, plus more

½ tsp pepper, plus more

2 Large carrots, diced

2 Large celery stalks, diced

1 Large onion, sliced into sticks

1 Large russet potato (skin on, scrubbed clean), chopped

½ Cup green frozen peas (you can use fresh too)

3 Cloves garlic, crushed

5-6 Sprigs fresh thyme

8 Cups sodium-reduced beef stock

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp cold water

Gravy browner (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and oil.  When they’re hot, add the beef cubes to the pan and season with salt and pepper (work in batches if necessary – don’t over crowd the pan.   Flip the beef after 3-4 minutes (the meat should be darkened) and again, season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker and in the carrots, celery, onion, potato, peas, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs and the ½ tsp of each salt and pepper.

In the pan you browned the beef cubes, add in the stock and tomato paste (I had to do this part twice due to the size of my pan), bring the stock to a boil and whisk until the tomato paste has dissolved.

Pour the boiling stock into the crockpot.

Whisk together the cornstarch and water until completely combined (it should look like whiter water) and add it to the slow cooker.

Mix all the contents of the pot together and then cover with the lid.

Set the temperature to low and cook for 8-10 hours.

Before serving, add the gravy browner to the pot, to your preference.   Then discard the thyme stems and taste and adjust seasoning.

Notes:

1. Feel free to use whatever sodium-reduced stock you have on hand.
2. If you don’t have fresh thyme you can go with a ½ tsp dried.
3. The gravy only helps give it that deep dark, delicious colour but the soup will taste the same without it (I always use it though).
4. Originally posted on January 12, 2017!

Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup

Of all the soups I've made over the years (I'm really starting to push 40... hard), this soup is without a doubt the best one I've made. The beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the vegetables are seasoned to perfection. This soup is definitely a perk or highlight to the cold crappy weather of winter.

Servings 8

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8-10 hour

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp (salted) butter
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 453 g Stewing beef cubes (1 lb)
• 1/2 tsp salt , plus more
• 1/2 tsp pepper , plus more
• 2 Large carrots, , diced
• 2 Large stalks of celery , diced
• 1 Large onion, , sliced into sticks
• 1 Large russet potato (skin on, scrubbed clean), chopped
• 1/2 Cup frozen green peas (you can use fresh too)
• 3 Cloves garlic , crushed
• 5-6 Sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 Cups sodium-reduced beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp cold water
• Gravy browner (optional)Gravy browner (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and oil. When they’re hot, add the beef cubes to the pan and season with salt and pepper (work in batches if necessary – don’t over crowd the pan. Flip the beef after 3-4 minutes (the meat should be darkened) and again, season with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker and in the carrots, celery, onion, potato, peas, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs and the ½ tsp of each salt and pepper.
3. In the pan you browned the beef cubes, add in the stock and tomato paste (I had to do this part twice due to the size of my pan), bring the stock to a boil and whisk until the tomato paste has dissolved.
4. Pour the boiling stock into the crockpot.
5. Whisk together the cornstarch and water until completely combined (it should look like whiter water) and add it to the slow cooker.
6. Mix all the contents of the pot together and then cover with the lid.
7. Set the temperature to low and cook for 8-10 hours.
8. Before serving, add the gravy browner to the pot, to your preference. Then discard the thyme stems and taste and adjust seasoning.

Recipe Notes

1. Feel free to use whatever sodium-reduced stock you have on hand.
2. If you don’t have fresh thyme you can go with a ½ tsp dried.
3. The gravy only helps give it that deep dark, delicious colour but the soup will taste the same without it (I always use it though).