The Veggie-Packed Anti-Inflammatory Slow-Cooker Stew My Family Loves

• The stew is packed with green vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and legumes, which help with inflammation.
• Within 15 minutes, you can prep the ingredients and set the slow cooker for an easy dinner.
• It’s a flavorful, kid-friendly dish that cooks on its own, providing for more family time.

As a dad who’s the primary cook in the household, I’m always searching for healthy kid-friendly recipes my young daughters will enjoy. Sure, I love to cook for my family, and it’s exciting when my girls get to try new ingredients, flavors and textures, but more than anything, I want them to actually eat their dinner. So when I tested this Slow-Cooker Vegetable Stew in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, I knew I had found a winner. Plus, it has plenty of ingredients that can help with inflammation, but more on that later.

How This Slow Cooker Recipe Won Me Over

Before I had kids, my slow cooker collected dust, hidden deep inside a cabinet with other unused gadgets and appliances. I’d bring it out only for special occasions—for example, when hosting a holiday party, I’d keep hot drinks warm in the slow cooker (this Hot Cider with Apple Brandy & Spices is one of my favorites). But now with a serious lack of extra time in the day, I’ve learned to truly appreciate my slow cooker. I now lean hard into slow-cooker recipes, and this veggie stew is my favorite.

This is one of those recipes that caught me off guard the first time it made its rounds through the test kitchen. Over the years, I’ve tested many, many slow-cooker recipes, and I can’t say any really caught my attention. I admit, for a long time, I turned my nose up at slow-cooker recipes as they are often flat in the flavor and texture department. But there was something about the simplicity of this veggie-packed stew and its delightful, lively flavors that inspired me to make it over and over again for my family.

It starts quite simply with a couple of cans of whole plum tomatoes I crush by hand, then comes a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans, potatoes and aromatics. The recipe also calls for Italian (Romano) beans, which are long, flat green beans. You can find them in the well-stocked freezer section of a grocery store, or substitute chopped fresh green beans or frozen cut green beans if Romano beans are unavailable. I’ll also often add whatever vegetables I have on hand, like frozen corn or edamame, leftover sautéed zucchini or roasted bell peppers.

Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients in this Stew

The ingredients in the stew are not only tasty, but many are also part of an anti-inflammatory diet, which may help fight chronic inflammation associated with many diseases. The olive oil, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and cannellini beans all have anti-inflammatory properties, which I truly appreciate for my overall gut health and general well-being. I never had a doctor tell me to eat any specific diet for my nagging health issues, but for about the last decade I’ve adopted a mostly plant-based diet with lots of leafy green veggies, whole grains, olive oil and legumes. Eating these foods makes me feel lighter, less stiff and less achy. Plus I have more energy compared to when I eat more processed, higher fat foods.

How I Enjoy This Stew

So what makes this veggie stew so special compared to the countless other slow-cooker recipes out there? Of course, I love those chunky vegetables and the gentle oregano flavor, but the stew really shines from the finish of sautéed garlic. Just before serving, I heat some extra-virgin olive oil in a small skillet and add lots of minced garlic. I cook it until it’s golden brown and fragrant, and stir the garlic and oil into the stew. This not only adds richness to the stew but tons of toasty garlic flavor.

I serve the stew with simple garlicky croutons that my daughters love using to sop up the tomatoey broth. Sometimes I’ll stir in leftover homemade pesto or even drizzle it with some crushed Calabrian chiles in oil (drizzled into my bowl as I’m the only one who enjoys spice).

Our Expert Take

I can prep this recipe in the morning in about 10 to 15 minutes, set the slow cooker to low, and it’ll be ready for us to enjoy at dinner. This gives me more time to spend with my girls after school rather than focusing on making them dinner. And with time being the most precious resource as a parent, delicious and healthy make-ahead recipes like this stew are a godsend. And it doesn’t hurt to have a recipe I know the whole family will enjoy.

EatingWell.com, September 2023