Slow cooker beef goulash

This dish of tender beef in a creamy stew is an ideal batch cooking recipe, so eat half and freeze the rest if you’re a family of four. Cooking in batches is very fuel efficient.

Serves 8

Prep 25 mins

Cook 7 hrs 3 tbsp olive oil

2kg braising or stewing steak,

cut into chunks

2 large onions, finely chopped 4 mixed peppers, cut into

4cm chunks 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tsp caraway seeds 2 tsp hot smoked paprika 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika,

plus extra to serve 4 tbsp tomato purée 4 large tomatoes, cut into

small chunks 400-500ml beef stock 300ml soured cream small bunch of parsley, chopped

1 Heat the slow cooker to low. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and sear the beef in batches until brown. Transfer to a plate. 2 Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the onions until lightly golden. Add the peppers and garlic and fry for

5 mins, then stir in the flour and spices. Cook briefly, then stir in the tomato purée, tomatoes and 400ml stock. Season well. Bring to a simmer, then tip into the slow cooker with the beef. Add the remaining stock, if needed, to cover the meat. Cover and cook for

6-7 hrs until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

3 Season to taste, then swirl the soured cream and most of the parsley through the stew. Scatter over the remaining parsley and some sweet smoked paprika, then serve with roast potatoes or brown rice, if you like. Once cool, the stew will keep frozen for up to three months. PER SERVING 581 kcals, fat 32g, saturates 13g,

carbs 17g, sugars 12g, fibre 6g, protein 54g, salt 0.3g