Slow Cooker Summer Beef Stew

Either use some stew meat or cut up a beef roast. Either way, here is a lighter beef stew for these summer months.

Adapted from Running to the Kitchen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4-1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
2 small zucchini, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
chopped fresh basil for garnish
grated parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Place olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stove-top.
2. Toss beef with flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl until all the pieces are equally coated.
3. Add beef to the hot pot and brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Transfer beef and all it’s juices to the slow cooker. Add garlic, bay leaf, shallots, tomato paste and broth to the slow cooker. Stir to combine and set for 6 hours on low heat.
5. Add zucchini and peppers 30 minutes before the timer is up (after 5.5 hours of cooking), stir gently to combine and continue cooking with the lid on for the remaining 30 minutes.
6. Serve with grain of choice.