I love beef stew but typically it has two main ingredients that just don’t work with a low-carb lifestyle, potatoes and flour. If you’re practicing low-carb and have been missing beef stew like I have then you are going to love this Low Carb Slow Cooker Beef Stew! Well you are going to love it even if you don’t worry about carbs but especially if you do. haha
I have a new favorite ingredient when it comes to soups and casseroles that generally contain potatoes, turnips. I’ve always enjoyed them but even more so now that we don’t eat white potatoes. A medium size turnip has just 8 grams of carbohydrates vs. a white potato which has 37. When it’s cooked in a soup or roasted it doesn’t have the strong flavor that some people tend to dislike. If you’ve eaten turnips plain and didn’t like them, you may find that you will like them in soups, stews and casseroles. I may have told you this before but just in case I didn’t, my potato loving hubby likes them better than potatoes in some dishes.
In order to thicken this Low Carb Slow Cooker Beef Stew I used another ingredient that I’m leaving to love, xanthan gum. I know it sounds weird and it’s not something that most people just have hanging out in the kitchen but for us low-carb peeps it’s awesome! Just be careful to add it to some of the liquid separate of the dish and then blend it really really well. You can then add the slurry to the rest of the dish. I find that using an immersion blender is the best tool for this job to ensure it’s completely blended and not clumpy. This is the immersion blender I use and I love it! You could use a regular blender but be very careful because your liquid will be hot and the pressure can build up and cause the lid to blow off. Also, keep in mind a little of this goes a LONG way! If you enjoy your stews thick then trust me you will want to give xanthan gum a try. If you don’t care whether the stew is thick or not then you can certainly leave it out. It has a neutral flavor therefore the stew will taste the same either way.
A couple of last notes I want to give you about this recipe before sharing it with you. The recipe does require you to brown the meat prior to slow cooking. If you have a Ninja then this will be super easy because you can use it on the stovetop setting and then add all of your ingredients and slow cook it. If you don’t then just brown your meat in a skillet prior to putting everything in the slow cooker. Also this recipe makes a lot so you will need a 6 quart slow cooker. If you don’t think your family will eat that much and you don’t want to freeze the leftovers then cut it in half. Finally, you can use any beef you want in this. Use whatever is cheapest because it’s going to cook a long time therefore you don’t have to worry about it being a tough cut.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. beef – cubed
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 29 oz. can beef stock
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 medium bell peppers – chopped
- 8 oz. mushrooms – chopped
- 6 ribs celery – chopped
- 4 large carrots – chopped
- 4 turnips – quartered
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons xanthan gum
Instructions
- Add oil to ninja or skillet and brown beef on all sides.
- Meanwhile add all ingredients EXCEPT xanthan gum to the slow cooker. Add beef once it finishes browning. If you use a ninja you do not have to drain the oil off.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours remove two cups of the liquid from the slow cooker and add the xanthan gum to the liquid. Blend well.. really well.
- Slowly stir the slurry into the beef stew until it’s all mixed in.
- Serve and enjoy.
About Tammy Northrup
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