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Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew

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A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that's dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante.

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that’s dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante. 

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that's dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante. 

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I’ve mentioned before that food is my love language.  If you help me out in any way, it’s highly likely that I will repay your kindness in the form of dinner or a baked good.  Last week for parent teacher conferences, I made this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew for the teachers to enjoy whenever they got a few minutes away from their conferences.  These amazing people who spend each day with the three oldest members of my menagerie more than deserved a warm meal.  When a teacher that I hadn’t met before stopped me in the hall to ask me if I had made it and professed his love for it, I knew it was something I had to share with you as well.

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that's dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante. 

I will freely admit that this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew came about out of necessity.  The theme for teacher’s meals that evening was Mediterranean food and although many parents had signed up to bring appetizers and desserts, the main course selection was lacking.  There’s a reason why I own three slow cookers.  I quickly added my name to the sign-up sheet and decided to put a spin on a typical beef stew that ended up taking just 10 minutes to prepare.

I mean, slow cooker soups are my jam.  My Slow Cooker Lemon Rosemary Lentil Soup is constantly in my top recipes viewed each day and my Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken Soup and Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup are always in heavy rotation at our house.

SIDE NOTE: If you’re looking for an amazing slow cooker, I can’t recommend the one I chatted about in this Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Cherries recipe enough.  I mean, the fact that it’s non-stick and is a breeze to clean is amazing in and of itself, but it also will brown, simmer and steam as well.  I have three slow cookers and this is the only one that I keep in my kitchen.  The others are only used on an as needed basis and are banished to storage in the basement.

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that's dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante. 

If you can chop an onion, you’ve got this recipe in the bag.  That’s the hardest part of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew.  Everything else is simply emptied from a package, jar or can into the slow cooker and stirred together.  You simply can’t ask for an easier meal, especially when you don’t return home until late thanks to school pick up, an ice skating lesson and basketball practice.  Please tell me I’m not the only one experiencing this season of chaos!  Returning home to a house that smells of a delicious stew that has been slow cooking all day is like absolute heaven.

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that's dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante. 

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that’s dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante.  For real.  Apparently being able to garnish her own bowl made my picky seven year old totally fine with all the foods she swears she dislikes.  Like olives.  And mushrooms.  She didn’t question the capers which leads me to believe she didn’t even notice those briny balls of deliciousness!  (For those of you not familiar with capers, they’re pickled flower buds of a certain shrub and really just give a nice burst of salty flavor to your dish.)

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that's dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers.  Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante. 

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew | Melanie Makes
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4.56 from 9 votes

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew

A balsamic vinegar spiked broth is the base of this Slow Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew that’s dotted with stew meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and capers. Each bowl of this rich and hearty stew is then sprinkled with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese which helps to brighten the flavors as well as to really up the flavor ante. 
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 273kcal
Author: Melanie Bauer | Melanie Makes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef stew meat
  • 16 ounces sliced baby portabello or crimini mushrooms
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 10 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 14.5- ounce cans diced tomatoes drained
  • 1 15- ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 6- ounce can black olives drained
  • 1 2- ounce jar capers drained
  • grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

  • In a six quart slow cooker, add all ingredients except garnishes, and gently stir together.
  • Cook on LOW 8-10 hours.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Garnish each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 931mg | Sugar: 6g

If you’re like me and can’t get enough of Mediterranean inspired recipes, check out these out of this world Mediterranean Nachos, fresh Mediterranean Panzanella and appetizer ready Mediterranean 7 Layer Dip.

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Comments

  1. jj says

    i have been making this stew for years now and love it. The broth has such a nice, and different flavor. (different from your typical beef stew is what I mean.) Only real difference is i use feta cheese on top, rather than Parmesan. Very Greek. Love it and it's great in cold weather or even in summer when you don't want to heat the house with a hot oven. Thanks for sharing!
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Thrilled that you enjoy it, JJ - thank you so much for taking the time to comment. So appreciate your kind words!
      Reply

  9. Debbie Herot says

    This recipe doesn’t call for browning the meat first like most slow cooker stews. Is it still as flavorful without the browning? Sure love the idea of skipping that step!
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, Debbie! Yes, you can skip the browning of the stew meat with this recipe. It's so flavorful that the extra step isn't necessary!
      Reply

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