Slow Cooker Moroccan Beef Stew

moroccan beef stew
Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN, LD
Total Time: 505 min
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 480 min
Servings: 10 (1 cup each)

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

238 calories
6g fat
19g carbs
27g protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 (1 cup each)
Amount per serving  
Calories 238
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 75mg 25%
Sodium 363mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 7g  
Includes 3g Added Sugars 6%
Protein 27g  
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 61mg 5%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 748mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

This wonderfully fragrant Moroccan beef stew calls for spices you may already have on hand. If not, they are easily found and will come in handy for many low-FODMAP recipes.

Moroccan spices, including cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, have been linked to weight loss, diabetes prevention, and even improvements in cardiovascular health.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast
  • 4 teaspoons garlic-infused olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup water, divided
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 medium parsnip, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 cup leek leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, ground
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed light
  • 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 pound sweet potato, cubed, skin on, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preparation

  1. Trim and discard visible fat from the beef, and cut it into 1-inch cubes.

  2. In a large skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat.

  3. Add half of the beef, without crowding pieces, and allow them to brown on one side without moving. When pieces are dark brown, after about three minutes, turn them over. Brown the beef on another side for 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. Remove the pieces from the skillet and set aside.

  5. Add half the water to the skillet and scrape up the browned bits. Add this liquid to the slow cooker.

  6. Reheat the skillet with the remaining oil and brown the second batch of beef. Repeat adding the rest of the water to the skillet, scraping browned bits, and adding liquid to the slow cooker.

  7. Add the carrots, parsnip, leek leaves, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Distribute the partially cooked beef in a single layer on top of the vegetables.

  8. Top with sweet potatoes, cover and cook on high for 6–8 hours, depending on your slow cooker. The stew is ready to serve when the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve over cooked quinoa or rice.

Variations and Substitutions

Prefer squash over sweet potatoes? Try this recipe with 4 cups (about 1 1/4 lbs) of kabocha squash with the seeds removed and cut into 1-inch pieces. There is no need to peel it, as the skin is edible.

To make cutting kabocha squash safer and easier, microwave the entire squash on high power for 3 minutes for a 1 1/2 pound squash, longer for a larger squash. Test with a large chef knife; the skin should yield to the knife but not be too soft. If the squash’s skin resists the knife, continue to microwave it in 1-minute increments. Place the bottom side down and halve squash slightly to one side of the stem.

Cooking and Serving Tips

  • This stew is typically served with couscous made from high-FODMAP wheat; however, quinoa, buckwheat groats, or millet are excellent low-FODMAP stand-ins for couscous.
  • A green salad would be a nice accompaniment, as well.
  • Why not start the stew before bed and wake up to a fragrant kitchen? Refrigerate it in the morning and reheat it for dinner.

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3 Sources
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Zare R, Heshmati F, Fallahzadeh H, Nadjarzadeh A. Effect of cumin powder on body composition and lipid profile in overweight and obese women. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2014;20(4):297-301. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2014.10.001

  2. Khan A, Safdar M, Ali Khan MM, Khattak KN, Anderson RA. Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2003;26(12):3215-3218. doi:10.2337/diacare.26.12.3215

  3. Jain AP, Aggarwal KK, Zhang P-Y. Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015;19(3):441-445. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2009.01.073

By Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN, LD
Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN, LD, is a nutrition expert with expertise in GI disorders. She is a leader in using the FODMAP approach with IBS patients.