Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew With Tomatoes and Olives
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
20 min
Cook
480 min
Total
500 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
Choose a beef chuck roast with marbling and cut it into 1․5-inch pieces for this slow cooker Mediterranean beef stew recipe․ Marbling and other connective tissues in the beef will soften as it simmers with Kalamata olives in a broth flavored with tomatoes․
Pat the cubed meat dry before seasoning․ Cook the meat in batches in a large skillet over medium-high heat․ I cook the batches separately in the skillet and then transfer them to a slow cooker to prevent steam buildup and a paler color in the skillet that can result from cooking too much meat at once․ Sauté the onions in the skillet until tender․ Add garlic and tomato paste to the skillet and cook the garlic briefly․ Add wine to the skillet to deglaze it․
Cook stew until the meat is falling apart․ Remove the bay leaf and stir in olives․ This will allow the olives to have a different‚ briny flavor than the tomato stew․ I use low-sodium beef broth when making this stew․ Other ingredients‚ such as olives and feta cheese‚ are very salty․
Serve the stew hot with chopped parsley and crumbled feta cheese․ Other accompaniments include creamy polenta‚ mashed potatoes‚ egg noodles‚ or bread and gravy․ Side dishes such as cucumber salad or green salad with lemon dressing are appropriate‚ especially for dinner guests․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Chuck roast is a fatty cut of meat that works well in recipes calling for beef cuts that cook for long periods and become tender․
- Tomatoes and tomato paste add flavor to the broth without requiring many additional ingredients or spices․
- Kalamata olives provide salty flavor contrast to the beef and potato broth․
- Baby potatoes can be cooked in a slow cooker and will supply a substantial base for the bowl․
- Parsley and feta cheese are often consumed alongside other foods to help control color and sodium intake․
- A 6-quart slow cooker is large enough to cook an entire recipe for beef stew without using an additional container to hold the stew․
Ingredients
- •3 lbs beef chuck roast (trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch cubes)
- •1 teaspoon salt
- •½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
- •1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- •4 cloves garlic (minced)
- •3 tablespoons tomato paste
- •½ cup dry red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
- •4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- •1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz, undrained)
- •2 large carrots (peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds)
- •2 stalks celery (sliced)
- •1 ½ lbs baby potatoes (halved)
- •2 teaspoons dried oregano
- •1 teaspoon dried thyme
- •1 bay leaf
- •½ cup Kalamata olives (pitted and halved)
- •¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
- •¼ cup feta cheese (crumbled, for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches on all sides until deeply browned, about 5-7 minutes per batch, then transfer it to the slow cooker.
- 3
Reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onion in the skillet until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4
Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until it has reduced slightly.
- 5
Stir the beef broth, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- 6
Pour the vegetable and broth mixture over the beef in the slow cooker, then stir gently to combine.
- 7
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until the beef is tender and falling apart.
- 8
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the Kalamata olives. Serve hot with parsley and crumbled feta cheese.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
520
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
