To be honest, I don’t go in for kitchen “gadgets.” And, I don’t use my “crock pot” much except to make dishes like this Slow Cooker Beef and Mushroom Stew, one of my go-to recipes on busy weekdays. (What weekday isn’t busy?) Take a few minutes in the morning to make this gluten-free beef stew recipe and you’ll have a delicious meal for dinner that the entire family will enjoy!
One bowl of Slow-Cooker Beef and Mushroom Stew is almost a meal in itself!
How to eat more plant foods
You don’t need to give up meat to eat a plant-based diet, and this recipe proves it. One serving of beef and mushroom stew supplies a full portion of vegetables, along with protein, and iron. It also contains 25% of the daily requirement for choline, a nutrient every cell in your body needs, and is necessary for developing brains during pregnancy and early life, and to support brain health in your later years, too.
This juicy, delicious burger recipe is a beef and mushroom blend
The health benefits of replacing some meat with mushrooms
The stew is rich in mushrooms, which take the place of some of the beef. Mushrooms are the only product in the fruit and vegetable section with vitamin D, and they have many other beneficial properties, too, including choline. Adding even a small amount of mushrooms to your eating plan can increase nutrition.
In addition to the nutrients mushrooms supply, there’s plenty they don’t have, including cholesterol. Mushrooms are also nearly free of fat and sodium. Vary this recipe with a mixture of mushrooms, such as white button and shiitake, if you like.
Mushrooms provide umami, a taste sensation that brings a savory flavor to dishes and may reduce salt use.
Gluten-free Beef Stew for the Slow Cooker
On top of it’s great taste, this low-carb slow cooker beef stew (16 grams of carbohydrate per serving) is also a gluten-free beef stew. The recipe calls for cornstarch instead of flour as a thickener. Be sure to buy gluten-free beef broth, because wheat, which contains gluten, may be added to the broth.
Slow Cooker Beef and Mushroom Stew (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 16 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 15-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 16 ounces stew meat, such as chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients except the beef, peas, and black pepper in a slow cooker. Combine well. Add the beef.
- Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
- Just before serving, add the peas, and season with black pepper, if desired. Stir well. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
Notes
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!