Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings.

• 1 1/2 lb Beef stew meat, cubed
• 1 1/2 lb Baby potatoes, halved
• 3 each Carrots, chopped
• 2 each Celery stalks, chopped
• 1 each Yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 3 cups Beef broth
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 cup Frozen peas
• 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• 1 each Bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Season the beef with 1/2 tsp of the salt and the pepper. Put the beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker.
2. Whisk the beef broth and tomato paste together and pour over everything. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and remaining 1 tsp salt. Stir once.
3. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3.5-4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
4. Discard the bay leaf. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 3 tbsp of the hot liquid from the slow cooker until smooth, then stir it back in. Stir in the peas.
5. Cover and cook on high for 10-15 more minutes, until the stew thickens slightly and the peas are heated through. The beef should be well past 145°F internally by this point and pull apart easily; taste and adjust salt before serving.