TODAY Food Club

My family loves a good, hearty beef stew during the chillier months, so I tried to combine one of our favorite comfort foods with the fresh Asian flavors we love, and I came up with a new family favorite! Make sure to add the crisp red peppers, asparagus, and water chestnuts near the end of the cooking time, so they stay perfectly crisp-tender.

Slow Cooker Asian Beef Stew

• Servings: 1 ½ cups
• Yield: 6
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cooking Time: 8 hr

Ingredients

• 2 ½ lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• ½ large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 cup beef broth
• ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1-2 tsp. Sriracha (depending on how spicy you like things)
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• ½ bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends removed, and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish
• cooked white rice, for serving

Preparation

1. Combine the beef with the onions and carrots in a 6 quart slow cooker.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic, Sriracha, and pepper.
3. Pour the sauce over the beef and vegetables in the slow cooker. Stir to make sure everything is evenly coated.
4. Cover the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and ¼ cup of water. Stir it into the stew.
6. Add the sliced asparagus, red pepper, and water chestnuts. Stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker, turn the heat to HIGH and cook for 15-20 minutes longer, until sauce has thickened a bit and the vegetables are crisp tender.
7. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve over cooked rice.

Recipe Tags

• Slow cooker
• Asian
• Entree