Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Soup

*Note: I actually wrote this recipe and this post in January, but haven't had time to take photos until today! Keep that in mind while reading. Sorry for the delay :(

Guys. It's 2014. Oh my goodness! And it's almost the end of the month! How did this happen?! Well, I wish you a VERY belated Happy New Year!! This has been an extremely busy month so far; largely work-related--so I haven't had the chance to get into the kitchen at all, and as usual, I miss it so much!

I present today's recipe at the special request of a friend who wanted me to change things up with a soup or stew on the blog. Given the chilly weather conditions here in North Texas (I think it was 11 degrees when I left my house this morning!), I was very happy to oblige. I found this beef stew recipe from The Chic Site. I prepped the vegetables last night and assembled it this morning. While I'm here at work, it's bubbling away in my crock pot!

The recipe calls for tomato paste, but I didn't have any, so I added a splash of red wine instead. I used a combination of beef broth and vegetable stock in lieu of chicken broth, as those are what I had on hand. Also, I'm not a fan of peas, so I omitted them from the recipe altogether, and I'm confident it will be just as delicious without!

This filling stew is both delicious and good for you! High in iron, zinc, and vitamins B and C, thanks to all the veggies, it's also bursting with flavor. I can't wait to get home and dig in! I imagine that some a good, hearty bread would be delicious with this soup, or a crisp green salad. Either way, enjoy, and stay warm!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable, beef, or chicken broth
• 1- 10.5 oz can condensed French Onion soup
• 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp red wine
• 1 Tbsp light (reduced sodium) soy sauce
• 2-3 pounds beef stew meat (or boneless beef chuck, cut into chunks; fat trimmed)
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half or quarters (I had Russet potatoes, so I used those instead).
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into large chunks
• additional salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes), as needed to thicken stew

Directions:

Add stock/broth, onion soup, water, wine, and soy sauce into bowl of slow cooker.  Stir to combine.
In a large bowl, season beef with salt and pepper.  Mix to combine. Add seasoned beef, potatoes, onion, and carrots to slow cooker.  Cover with lid and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 6-7 hours until the beef is tender.

Before serving, stir in 1/4 cup potato flakes to thicken stew.  Add additional potato flakes 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired thickness.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Facts-- Servings: 8 • Size: 1 cup soup • Calories: 305 • Fat: 7.3 g • Carbs: 22.4 g • Fiber: 2.5 g  • Protein: 37.2 g • Sugars: 3.9 g