Super-Veggie Beef Stew

America's Test Kitchen

• Ready In: 12 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 3  onions, minced
• 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
• 6  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon  minced fresh thyme (or 1 t. dried)
• 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus extra as needed
• 1 1⁄2 cups beef broth
• 8  ounces  portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1⁄3 cup soy sauce (I would use low sodium)
• 2  bay leaves
• 1 (4 lb)  boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
•  salt
•  pepper
• 12  ounces  red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4  carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced in 1 inch thick
• 3  parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1 inch thick
• 8  ounces kale, stemmed and leaves sliced 1/4-inch thick

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over med-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add onions, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until onions are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.
3. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
4. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.
5. Stir beef broth, portobellos, soy sauce, and bay leaves into slow cooker.
6. Season beef with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker.
7. Toss potatoes, carrots, and parsnips with remaining tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap in foil packet.
8. Lay foil packet on top of stew.
9. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9-11 hours on LOW or 5-7 hours on HIGH.
10. Transfer foil packet to plate; let stew settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon.
11. Discard bay leaves.
12. Stir in kale, cover, and cook on high until tender, 20-30 minutes.
13. Carefully open foil packet, stir vegetables with any accumulated juices into stew, and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes (adjust stew consistency with additional hot broth as needed).
14. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.