Last week when I asked our GSO Facebook followers what recipes you all would like to see on the blog this fall, two top requests quickly emerged: vegetarian recipes and slow cooker recipes.
So your wish is my command — I made you some Slow Cooker Root Vegetable Stew!
I prepped everything this morning, and could hardly wait for the slow cooker to do its work for dinner tonight. This stew turned out to be absolutely delicious, and is a fantastic way to use up some of those seasonal root veggies. You can substitute in whatever your favorite root veggies may be, but I used some butternut squash, sweet potatoes, Yukon potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions from my farmers’ market. Then seasoned the stew with some bay leaf, lots of garlic and sage, and finished it off by wilting in some fresh kale. Spectacular! It was all of the goodness of sweet and savory together, and wonderfully hearty and filling without any meat or grains. And if you make it with vegetable stock, this stew is vegetarian and vegan. And the best part is that it was totally simple to throw together. The main work is just chopping up all of your veggies, then your slow cooker will take over and do the rest of the work.
Definitely a simple, comforting and delicious stew that your friends and family will love.
Slow Cooker Root Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 1 large white onion OR 2 leeks (white portion only), chopped
- 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb. parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, stems removed and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 cups chopped fresh kale
- optional: fried sage leaves for garnish (see note below)
Instructions
- Add first eleven ingredients to a slow-cooker, and carefully stir to combine. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf, and carefully stir in the kale. Let the stew continue cooking for 10 minutes or so until the kale is wilted. Season with additional salt and pepper if need be.
- Serve immediately, with the option to garnish with fried sage leaves or Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I’m really not sure what I did wrong, but I’m so disappointed. I have the big costco crockpot and I could not fit all of these veggies. It is packed full and I didn’t even put in the sweet potatoes. :(
Oh no, we’re sorry to hear that, Melissa! What size is your slow cooker? We used a 6-qt for this.
Can you freeze this? :)
Yes, you can freeze this — we hope you enjoy!
I am really sorry to report that this was very bland for us as well. I am such a fan and have great success with your recipes usually. Not this one. Very bland and disappointing. Even I, a big fan of root veggies, didn’t care for it.
We’re very sorry to hear that, Kristin! :(
I’ve made this twice now and it has a really really amazing flavor. Thanks for the recipe. I added Italian sausage to it the 2nd time which was really good too!
We’re so happy you’re a fan, Rachel! :)
Hey there,
I’m really looking forward to trying this out throughout the week as a lovely heart warmer. I just got my slow cooker yesterday and I had no clue what to make (until I found this)… This may be a very silly question but do I add water or vegetable stock whilst it’s cooking?
Thank you :’)
Whoops, so sorry! That recipe had a big typo. You should add in the veggie stock right at the beginning with the first eleven ingredients. Sorry for the confusion, and hope you have a blast with your new slow cooker! :)
I just realized I had no idea what butternut squash was. I had used just… regular squash? Anyway, it was really, REALLY good! Thanks for the recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this!
Why peel and seed the squash?
Hi Elicia! We don’t care for the skin (as it’s a bit tough) and you typically don’t want to eat the stringy, seedy middle.
Wonderful recipe, I included it on my spanish website. https://www.multirecetas.com
Thanks
I made this and loved it. I omitted the white potato though. The second day I added some shredded chicken to it as well. Yum
We’re so happy you enjoyed this Carlos! :)
This is totally one of my go to meals now! Love it!
Thanks Megan — we’re so glad to hear that! :)