This old-fashioned slow cooker stew turns four ingredients into tender beef, vegetables, and thick tomato gravy with about four minutes of prep. The dry onion soup mix does a lot of heavy lifting, bless its salty little heart. Served over mashed potatoes, this is the sort of dinner that makes every bite cozy.
Why You’ll Love It
- Just four ingredients — beef, tomato soup, onion soup mix, and frozen mixed vegetables come together in one slow cooker.
- No browning required — the raw stew meat goes directly into the cooker.
- Thick, savory gravy — condensed tomato soup creates a rich tomato-based sauce.
- Great for leftovers — it feeds six and reheats beautifully.
Ingredient Notes
The beef stew meat can be the pre-cut kind from the grocery store, which is a convenient option. If the price is ridiculous—and sometimes it surely is—buy a chuck roast and cut it into chunks yourself. Aim for pieces around 1 to 1 1/2 inches, not enormous hunks that take forever to get tender.
Use condensed tomato soup, not ready-to-eat tomato soup in a carton. The plain old red-and-white canned kind is exactly what you want. Do not add water. Despite the usual tomato-soup directions, leave it concentrated here. It becomes the gravy.
For the onion soup mix, any standard 1-ounce packet works. It is salty, so wait until the end before adding salt.
Frozen mixed vegetables are the easy answer. Peas, carrots, corn, and green beans are a good combination. Don’t thaw them. No extra bowl to wash.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed tomato soup, the regular canned kind—do not dilute it
- 1 (1-ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
- 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, such as peas, carrots, corn, and green beans
Instructions
Place the raw beef stew meat in an even layer across the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Try not to leave one giant pile in the middle.
Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the meat. It won’t coat every little piece perfectly, and that is fine.
Pour both cans of condensed tomato soup directly over the seasoned stew meat. Do not add water, milk, or broth at this point. Use a spatula to spread the soup around so most of the meat is covered; it will look a little odd and thick, but it sorts itself out while it cooks.
Add the frozen mixed vegetables on top of the tomato soup layer. Gently press them down just a bit so they settle into the soup and meat, but do not stir everything together yet.
Put the lid on and cook on HIGH for about 5 hours, or cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, until the beef is very tender and the vegetables are cooked through. Avoid lifting the lid every hour to check it. Slow cookers do not appreciate curiosity.
When the cooking time is up, stir the stew well to combine the tomato soup, meat, and vegetables into a thick gravy. Taste it before adding anything else, then add salt and black pepper only if needed. The onion soup mix may have you covered already.
Serve the stew hot over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice, or scoop it into bowls with crusty bread or dinner rolls alongside.
Variations
Add about 1 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning along with the onion soup mix. It gives the stew a little extra something, though it really doesn’t need it.
For a creamier stew, stir in sour cream at the end, around 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Heavy cream works too. It turns the gravy a softer orange color and makes it richer.
If you want a thinner stew, stir in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of beef broth after it has cooked. It works especially well for bread-dunking.
You can also use about 3 cups of fresh chopped vegetables—carrots, potatoes, celery—rather than frozen mixed vegetables. Keep them fairly small so they cook through in the five-hour HIGH cooking time. Big chunks of potato may cook unevenly.
A pinch of red pepper flakes adds a little warmth.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat it in the microwave until hot, stirring halfway through. A splash of beef broth can loosen it if the gravy has thickened up too much in the fridge. You can also warm it gently on the stovetop.
This stew freezes well for up to 3 months. Let it cool first, then divide it into freezer-safe containers.
Final Notes
There’s something comforting about a dinner that doesn’t demand a performance. No special equipment beyond the slow cooker. No tricky sauce. No standing over a pan.
This stew works especially well when the kitchen needs to smell warm by late afternoon and tomorrow’s dinner needs a head start without making a production out of it. Sometimes dinner just needs to be dinner, for heaven’s sake.
And if there’s enough mashed potato left to catch that tomato gravy—well. That’s a pretty decent evening.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Amish 5-Hour Stew
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat Cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 10.5-ounce cans condensed tomato soup Use the regular canned kind; do not dilute
- 1 1-ounce packet dry onion soup mix
- 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables Such as peas, carrots, corn, and green beans; do not thaw
Instructions
- Place the raw beef stew meat in an even layer across the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the meat.
- Pour both cans of condensed tomato soup directly over the meat without adding water, milk, or broth, then spread the soup around with a spatula.
- Add the frozen mixed vegetables on top and gently press them down so they settle into the soup and meat without stirring everything together.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for about 5 hours, or on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, until the beef is very tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
- Stir the stew well to combine the tomato soup, meat, and vegetables into a thick gravy, then taste and add salt and black pepper only if needed.
- Serve the stew hot over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice, or with crusty bread or dinner rolls alongside.
