Beef Stew #2

This is a dump-and-go slow cooker stew for those days when you want dinner waiting for you without any real effort. Two cans of soup, some water, whatever vegetables you have on hand, and bite-size chunks of beef all go into the crock pot in the morning and come out as a thick, rich stew by evening.

The cream of mushroom soup is doing most of the flavor and thickening work here. As it cooks down over those long hours, it melts into a creamy, savory gravy that coats every piece of potato and carrot. The tomato soup adds body and a slightly sweet acidity that keeps the stew from tasting one-dimensional.

The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. Use whatever vegetables you like and as much or as little meat as you want. Potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery are the classic base, but green beans, turnips, or parsnips all work well too.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut all vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Smaller pieces will turn to mush before larger ones are tender.
• Trim the fat and marbling from the beef before adding it. In a slow cooker, that fat doesn’t render out the same way it does in a hot pan, and it can leave a greasy film on the stew.
• Hold off on seasoning until after your first batch. The canned soups bring plenty of salt, and you can always add more at the table.
• Low and slow is better than medium here. The longer cook time breaks down the meat more thoroughly.

Variations

• Chicken version: Swap the beef for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which hold up better than breast in long cooking.
• Root vegetable stew: Add sweet potatoes, parsnips, and turnips for a heartier, more rustic version.