Description
This Slow Cooker Italian Beef Stew is a hearty and flavorful meal perfect for a comforting dinner. Tender beef stew meat is browned with pancetta and sautéed vegetables, then slow-cooked with red wine, tomato, and Italian seasonings for hours until rich and savory. Green beans and peas are added towards the end to keep their freshness, making this stew both delicious and nutritious. Serve it with polenta, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes alongside crusty bread for a satisfying and warming Italian-inspired dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Meat Seasoning
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus extra for seasoning
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Vegetables
- 2 ounces pancetta, diced small
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup Italian flat beans or green beans
- 1 cup peas
Liquids and Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Brown pancetta and vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced pancetta until browned and crispy. Add the peeled and diced carrots, diced onion, minced garlic, and sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, and continue sautéing until the vegetables are softened. Transfer all contents to the slow cooker.
- Coat and brown beef: Season the beef stew meat with salt and pepper. Toss the beef in the all-purpose flour until evenly coated. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet, then brown the beef in batches to ensure a good sear. Pour in the dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom to incorporate flavor. Transfer the browned beef and wine mixture to the slow cooker.
- Make broth and add to slow cooker: Whisk any remaining flour from the beef coating bowl into the low-sodium beef broth until smooth to avoid lumps. Add this mixture to the slow cooker along with tomato paste, canned diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and the bay leaf. Stir to combine all ingredients.
- Cook the stew: Cover the slow cooker and set to cook on low for 8 hours, allowing the flavors to deepen and the beef to become tender.
- Add vegetables: During the last hour of cooking, add the Italian flat beans (or green beans) and peas to the slow cooker. This helps them retain a bit of their texture and vibrant color.
- Serve hot: Remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning adjustments. Serve the stew hot alongside polenta, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes, with crusty bread on the side for dipping into the delicious sauce.
Notes
- For best flavor, brown the beef and pancetta separately before slow cooking.
- Use low-sodium beef broth to better control salt levels.
- If Italian flat beans are not available, substitute with regular green beans or frozen green peas.
- Adding the green beans and peas during the last hour prevents them from overcooking and becoming mushy.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
