Slow-cooker root vegetable stew

3
Points®
Total Time
8 hr 20 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
8 hr
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
Take a trip to the south of France without the headaches of air travel by whipping up a batch of this enlightened take on a traditional Provençal cassoulet. The classic elements of cassoulet, beans and pork, are combined with colorful and flavorful root vegetables to marry into incredible deep flavor. This recipe is a great example of using a small amount of boldly flavored meat for a huge impact on the overall dish. The short 20 minutes of prep is all chopping. Look for some of these vegetables, prechopped in your produce section. Roots vegetables are very seasonal, so you will see them mostly in winter and early spring. Though bitter when barely cooked, each root develops its own sweetness during the long cooking of this stew. Serve with some crusty bread to clean your dish!

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 spray(s)

Pancetta

4 oz, chopped

Uncooked onion

1 large, chopped

Jarred minced garlic

2 tsp

Canned diced tomatoes

28 oz, reduced sodium

Low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup(s)

Canned white beans

1 cup(s), drained and rinsed

Carrots

2 medium, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

Uncooked parsnip

2 medium, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

Uncooked rutabaga

½ pound(s), (approx 1 small rutabaga), peeled and diced

Celery root (celeriac)

½ pound(s), (approx 1 small celeriac), peeled and diced

Rosemary

2 Tbsp, fresh leaves, minced

Fresh thyme

1 Tbsp, leaves

Red pepper flakes

¼ tsp

Bay leaf

1 leaf/leaves

Instructions

  1. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the pancetta; cook about 5 minutes, until browned, stirring often. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Stir in the garlic until aromatic, about 20 seconds.
  2. Scrape the contents of the skillet into a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, beans, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf before serving. The stew can stay on the keep-warm setting for up to 3 hours. Serving size: 1 2/3 cups.