Nothing beats a comforting beef stew on a cold winter's day, especially when it requires minimal cooking to make. Our slow cooker beef stew recipe is gently cooked to perfection for succulent, tender chunks of beef which is paired with creamy mashed potato and kale.

Stews are a great way of incorporating more veggies into your diet and getting in those vitamins and minerals, which can help to ward away winter bugs! Packing veg in is also a great way of boosting the satiety of a meal to keep you full longer, especially when paired with plenty of protein like our stew is.

We’ve used lean beef for the stew and light butter for the mash for a generous portion that comes in at 437 calories and 37g of protein. Whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, or simply feed fussy eaters, this stew does it all.

Ideal as a lunch, dinner or meal prep option, this no-nonsense dish can be left to slowly cook away for 8 hours on a low heat or for a faster cooking time crank up the heat to have it ready in just 4 hours!

Our slow cooker beef stew serves 6 and keeps fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days, so it’s ideal for a family dinner or meal prep for two. Plus, it’s easy to make – once prepped, this no-nonsense dish can be left to cook on slow for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 4 hours (high heat) or 8 hours (low heat)

Ingredients:

To make the beef stew:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 900g diced lean beef
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 5 sticks of fresh thyme
• Low calorie oil spray
• Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• 240g cavelo nero / kale
• 800g potato, peeled and diced
• 8 tbsp milk
• 40g light butter
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Add low calorie oil spray to a frying pan and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until soft, then place them into the slow cooker.

2. Coat the lean beef in cornflour and add it to the same frying pan on a high heat with a few extra sprays of low-calorie oil spray. Cook until browned on the outside before placing the beef into the slow cooker with the vegetables.

3. Next, add the stock cubes, 600ml of boiling water, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, and a good grind of black pepper to the slow cooker.

4. Now place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

5. When you are nearly ready to serve, make the mash by steaming or boiling the potatoes until soft.

6. Next, mash the potatoes together with the butter and milk, and season the combination to taste before steaming the kale.

7. Serve the beef stew, mash, and kale together and enjoy.

Top tip: Store as an easy food prep for up to 3 days in the fridge or once it's cooled pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you're in need of some winter comfort meal ideas, why not try our mini toad in the holes, or for more inspiration have look at our healthy winter recipes!