Paleo Crockpot Beef Stew

By ROBandSEAN

Nothing says comfort food like our paleo beef stew. It’s rich, hearty, and perfect for cold winter nights. What’s even better is that you can take a few minutes to throw everything into a crockpot in the morning, and come home to a prepared meal that fills your house with its delicious aroma.

The best thing about our crockpot recipes is that there’s barely any work involved. This recipe doesn’t require you brown your meat beforehand, but you can if you feel the urge. I never do, and it always works out perfectly.

To make this 100 percent Paleo, leave out the potatoes. I don’t have an issue with potatoes, as long as they’re organic. If you want a super-rich flavor, the addition of one cup of red wine or gluten-free dark beer (or regular dark beer, if you don’t have a problem with gluten) adds a fantastic depth you can’t get anywhere else. But that’s up to you.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pastured stewing beef
• 2 cups of beef or chicken stock (or 1 cup stock and 1 cup wine or beer)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3-5 small turnips , cubed (optional)
• 1 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced (adjust according to your taste)
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 8 oz of sliced mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon each dried rosemary, basil, and oregano
• 1/8 cup arrowroot powder (if you want to thicken your stew)

Preparation

Step 1

Stew Cooking Directions

Place meat into crockpot.
Add liquids then all other ingredients except for arrowroot powder on top.
Cover and cook on low for eight hours.
Directions to Thicken

Just before you’re ready to eat, use a ladle to spoon out most of the liquid into a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Stir a small amount of the liquid into a small bowl and sprinkle in the arrowroot flour, whisking as you add it. Make sure there are no lumps.
Slowly pour the arrowroot mixture into the boiling liquid in the pot and remove from heat as you whisk continuously.
Do not reheat as this will break the bonds of the thickener.
If it’s not thick enough, use water and some more arrowroot powder in your small bowl, whisk to mix, then slowly add into the gravy.
Pour thickened gravy back into slow cooker and stir gently.