Hearty Beef Stew

With a few low-carb substitutions, this hearty stew will still warm you up during cold winter months without as many carbs.

Ingredients

• 1 lb stew beef
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 cup sliced red onion
• 2 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 oz baby carrots
• 1 cup green beans
• 3 stalks medium celery, sliced
• 3 medium mushrooms, chopped finely
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tsp leaves Italian herb blend
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 cups water
• 3 cubes beef bouillon

Directions

1. Prepare all of the vegetables. Heat the water in a kettle, bring to boil.
2. In a medium pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Brown the stew meat, sprinkled with garlic, until browned. (Optional to add 1/4 cup of red cooking wine and let reduce 2 minutes.
3. In a slow-cooker, add hot water, bouillon cubes, meat, and all of the prepared vegetables.
4. Let cook for 6-8 hours in the slow-cooker.
5. Note: a variation for lower carbs is to omit carrots and replace with summer squash.