Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew (Easy, Healthy, DELICIOUS!)
Vegetable Stew is healthy, hearty, and amazingly flavorful! This comforting recipe is effortless to make in the slow cooker and loaded with your favorite veggies, special flavor-boosting ingredients, and cozy pasta.
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One of the staples of my childhood was vegetable soup with the little alphabet shapes floating in it, poured fresh from a certain, ubiquitous red-and-white can. 😉 Well, today's Vegetable Stew stems from that same inspiration...except it's all grown up!
In my version, hearty veggies and petite pasta float in a flavor-packed, thickened-up broth for a healthy yet comforting recipe that'll help anyone get well soon!
It's just too thick and chunky to call this soup, y'all. 😉
Ingredients
Yes, there are quite a few individual ingredients in this Vegetable Stew recipe. However, each of them serves to contribute a layer of flavor and/or texture...and once combined, they collectively turn a simple staple into something more special!
- Potatoes. I recommend using thin-skinned yellow or red potatoes in this Vegetable Stew. You don't have to peel them, but be sure to scrub them well before cutting into 1-inch chunks. Or if you'd like to use russet potatoes, that'll work as well...I just recommend peeling them first since their skin is thicker.
- Carrots. Peeled and sliced. Or for a shortcut, I sometimes toss in a bag of pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store instead.
- Celery. Chopped.
- Frozen corn + frozen green beans. No need to thaw them first. But I do recommend using cut green beans (rather than whole ones) so that they're already in bite-sized pieces.
- Mushrooms. Cleaned and sliced. I prefer using a combo of white mushrooms and cremini mushrooms, but you can use any type of mushroom you like. Additionally, you can combine multiple types or use all the same kind!
- Garlic. Minced.
- Crushed tomatoes. I like using fire-roasted canned tomatoes for extra depth of flavor.
- Vegetable broth. Low-sodium broth will give you more control over the ultimate saltiness of your Vegetable Stew. You can opt to substitute beef broth or chicken broth instead, if you like.
- Tomato paste. It's amazing how just a dollop of tomato paste adds such depth of flavor to this recipe...don't leave it out!
- Balsamic vinegar. Another flavor enhancer that packs a surprising punch.
- Herbs + seasonings. Again, we're looking to boost flavor here! Specifically, you'll need Italian seasoning, rosemary (fresh minced, if you've got it!), garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, plenty of salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cornstarch + cool water. These combine to create the slurry that will slightly thicken this recipe from a soup into a stew.
- Small pasta. Elbow macaroni, as shown in this post, is just dandy. But if you can find alphabet pasta, I highly recommend it (for nostalgia's sake)! That being said, any petite pasta shape will work.
- Frozen peas. The peas are added at the end of the recipe in order to retain their bright color and sweet flavor, which makes them pop! And thawing your peas before stirring them in (simply place in a colander under running water for a minute) prevents them from cooling down the stew too much.
Despite the specific ingredient list above, it's easy to tweak this Vegetable Stew to your family's tastes...or to whatever you have available.
Add a cup of chopped onion if you like, and feel free to swap out or add just about any veggies.
How to Make Vegetable Stew
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
It's super easy to make this Vegetable Stew recipe because you simply throw all of the ingredients in the slow cooker!
- Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, mushrooms, garlic, and crushed tomatoes to a large slow cooker.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Italian Seasoning, rosemary, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook until all of the vegetables are tender.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and the water until smooth. Then slowly stir the resulting cornstarch slurry into the crock pot.
- Add the pasta and the frozen peas and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Adjust the seasonings with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and serve hot!
How easy is that?
Not to mention tasty...and healthy...and hearty! 😉
Stovetop Directions
If you want your Vegetable Stew STAT rather than waiting all day for it to slow cook, it's easy to convert this recipe to the stovetop! It just take some rearranging of the steps and a bit of extra attention. 🙂
TO MAKE VEGETABLE STEW ON THE STOVE, set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
Add the carrots, celery, sliced mushrooms and minced garlic (and onions, if you decide to add some) and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the veggies have softened and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
Increase the heat to high and add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar, and all of the herbs and seasonings. Stir in the potatoes, the frozen corn, and the frozen green beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
Uncover, stir, and bring to another boil. Stir in the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Mix up the cornstarch slurry and slowly stir it into the pot, then continue cooking at a low boil for a final 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the Vegetable Stew recipe is slightly thickened. If you wait to add your thawed peas until the last couple minutes, they'll stay bright green! 🙂
Vegetable Stew Leftovers
Leftover Vegetable Stew may be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave, but keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb the broth while it hangs out in the fridge.
So you'll likely need to add an extra splash of broth (and then adjust the seasonings) upon reheating.
Whether you're trying to use up the random vegetables in your crisper drawer or you're craving a nourishing meal when feeling under the weather, this Vegetable Stew is the ticket!
It's chock-full of flavor and loaded with good-for-you ingredients.
It's cozy and comforting.
It's fantastically easy to make!
Try it soon and let me know what you think. 🙂
More Veggie-Loaded Soups + Stews
Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew (Easy, Healthy, Delicious!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound red or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks (for about 3 cups total)
- 1 pound about 6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (for about 3 ½ cups total)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
- 8 ounces cremini or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, OR ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 bay leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup (4 ounces) dry alphabet pasta or small elbow macaroni, OR any other type of small pasta
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
- Combine potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, both kinds of mushrooms, garlic, and crushed tomatoes in a large slow cooker. Pour in vegetable broth, then add tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Italian Seasoning, rosemary, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, and pepper; stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours) or until all vegetables are tender.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth, then slowly stir cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker, along with pasta and thawed peas. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes until pasta is al dente. Adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- It's easy to tweak this recipe to your family's tastes or to what you have available. Add a cup of chopped onion if you like. Use any type of potato that you wish…thin-skinned red or yellow potatoes are fine unpeeled, or russets work, too, if you don't mind peeling.
- The mushrooms are also customizable…you can use all the same kind or mix them up. Frozen mushrooms will work if you don’t have fresh.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Since pasta can continue to absorb liquid even after it's cooked, you may need to add a splash of broth to the bowl when reheating leftovers.
