Ultimate Easy Slow Cooker Pork and Vegetable Stew: A Hearty & Healthy Weeknight Meal
This slow cooker pork and vegetable stew offers the perfect blend of warmth, heartiness, and nutrition, making it an ideal choice for a delicious and effortless weeknight dinner. It’s a true comfort food classic, reimagined for modern convenience without sacrificing flavor or health.
Imagine coming home after a long day to the savory aroma of a perfectly cooked meal, ready to be dished out with minimal fuss. That’s the magic of this pork stew recipe. It’s satisfying, robust, incredibly easy to prepare, and packed with wholesome ingredients that are good for you. The secret to its simplicity lies with our kitchen’s most reliable ally: the slow cooker.
Effortless Cooking: The Slow Cooker Advantage
One of the greatest benefits of a slow cooker is its ability to transform simple ingredients into a deeply flavorful dish with very little hands-on time. This recipe exemplifies the “chop, measure, and dump” method, making it my absolute favorite kind of slow cooker meal. You simply gather your ingredients, toss them into the slow cooker, set it, and forget it. While the slow cooker works its magic throughout the day, the flavors meld beautifully, and the pork becomes incredibly tender, creating a rich and inviting stew that feels gourmet but is incredibly straightforward.
To Brown or Not to Brown: A Flavorful Choice
Many stew recipes suggest browning the meat and sautéing the onions before adding them to the slow cooker, promising an extra layer of flavor. While it’s true that caramelizing the meat adds depth through the Maillard reaction, and sautéing onions can sweeten them, I often find myself skipping this step for the sake of convenience. And honestly? This slow cooker pork and vegetable stew still delivers an abundance of rich, delicious flavor even without it. The long, slow cooking process tenderizes the pork and allows all the spices and liquids to infuse every ingredient, resulting in a wonderfully robust stew. However, if you have a few extra minutes and are looking to maximize flavor, feel free to brown your pork cubes in a pan before adding them to the slow cooker, along with a quick sauté of your chopped onions. It’s a personal preference, and either way, you’ll end up with a fantastic meal.
The Heart of the Stew: Key Ingredients
Let’s delve into the star ingredients that make this slow cooker pork stew so special:
- White Beans: These versatile legumes add a creamy texture and significant nutritional value, boosting the fiber and protein content of your stew. You can choose cannellini, navy, or Great Northern beans – whichever you prefer. For the best results and control over sodium, I highly recommend using cooked beans. Cooking them yourself from dried beans is incredibly cost-effective (you’ll pay three times as much for canned!) and easy to do in advance, even freezing portions for later use. If you’re short on time, thoroughly rinsed canned beans are a perfectly acceptable alternative.
- Boneless Pork: The key to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth stew is the right cut of pork. Boneless pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) or sirloin roast are excellent choices due to their marbled fat content, which breaks down beautifully during slow cooking, ensuring succulent results. Cut your pork into 1-inch to 1.5-inch cubes for even cooking.
- Onions and Carrots: These foundational vegetables form the aromatic base of the stew, adding natural sweetness and depth of flavor. Peeled and chopped, they release their essences slowly, contributing to the stew’s overall richness. They’re also fantastic sources of vitamins and antioxidants.
- Garlic: A generous amount of minced garlic elevates the savory profile of this stew. Its pungent, aromatic qualities are essential for building a robust flavor base and offer numerous health benefits.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid foundation for our stew. While homemade chicken broth (especially bone broth made using an easy slow cooker method) will provide the deepest flavor and most nutrients, there’s no “real food police” here! Feel free to use good quality store-bought broth if that’s more convenient for you. Opt for low-sodium versions to control the salt content in your final dish.
- Italian Seasoning, Black Pepper, and Salt: A classic blend of Italian herbs brings a warm, earthy essence to the stew. Don’t forget a good dash of black pepper. Salt is crucial for enhancing all the flavors, especially if you’re using homemade, unsalted broth. Remember to adjust to taste at the end of cooking.
- Red Wine: Just a quarter cup of red wine adds a subtle layer of complexity and depth, complementing the savory pork beautifully. The alcohol cooks off during the long stewing process, leaving behind only its rich flavor. If you prefer to avoid wine, simply substitute it with an equal amount of chicken broth; the stew will still be incredibly tasty.
Can you already envision the deliciousness brewing in your slow cooker?
Adding Freshness: The Power of Greens
To truly make this a complete, one-pot wonder, we incorporate a generous amount of fresh greens in the final 30 minutes of cooking. Chopped kale, chard, or spinach (or a delightful combination of all three!) wilt down beautifully, adding vibrant color, a fresh counterpoint to the rich stew, and a powerful boost of vitamins and minerals. These greens integrate seamlessly into the hearty broth, making the stew even more wholesome and satisfying.
While slow cookers do require planning ahead for the cooking time, the beauty is that they do all the heavy lifting for you. You can prepare this stew in the morning and go about your day, knowing that a nutritious, homemade meal awaits you. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that such good food, made from scratch with minimal effort, can be so accessible and easy.
Beyond its ease and deliciousness, this stew is also incredibly economical. A whole pot can cost as little as $5 to $7 to make, and it yields a substantial amount, making it perfect for feeding a family, batch cooking for meal prep, or enjoying leftovers. Adding this affordable and satisfying dish to your regular dinner rotation is truly a win-win!
Serving Suggestions for Your Hearty Pork Stew
This slow cooker pork stew is wonderfully versatile and pairs well with a variety of sides. Here are some of our favorite recommendations to make your meal complete:
- Garlic & Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes: As pictured, these creamy, flavorful mashed potatoes are an absolute dream alongside the savory stew. The richness of the potatoes perfectly complements the tender pork and vegetables.
- Easy Artisan Bread Recipe or Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe: A crusty loaf of bread is essential for soaking up every last drop of the delicious broth. Whether you opt for a quick artisan loaf or a tangy sourdough, fresh bread elevates the meal. (We usually choose either potatoes or bread, but feel free to enjoy both!)
- Fresh Cut Vegetables with Dip: For a lighter accompaniment, serve a medley of fresh, crisp vegetables like cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, or cherry tomatoes. Pair them with a homemade dip such as Best Homemade Ranch Dressing & Dip or Homemade Creamy Feta Dip.
- Simple Green Salad: A light, vibrant green salad with a vinaigrette dressing can provide a refreshing contrast to the hearty stew.
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Slow Cooker Pork & Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked white beans about 1 pound dried beans OR 3 cans
- 2 pounds boneless pork cubed
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 carrots chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup red wine or white wine OR more broth
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups chopped kale chard, or spinach
- 1 teaspoon salt* or to taste
Instructions
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Place beans, pork, onion, carrots, and garlic into the bowl of a large slow cooker.
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Add broth, seasoning, and wine.
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Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.
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Add the chopped greens, stir, cover, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes on High.
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Season with salt to taste.
Notes
Serving suggestion: Serve alongside garlic-sour cream mashed potatoes (though a good loaf of bread is great, too!)
Nutrition
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Pork Stew
- Don’t Overfill: Ensure your slow cooker is not more than two-thirds full to allow for proper cooking and to prevent spills.
- Adjust Seasoning: Always taste and adjust salt and pepper (and other spices) at the very end of cooking. Flavors can concentrate and change during the long slow-cook process.
- Thicken if Desired: If you prefer a thicker stew, remove about a cup of the liquid at the end of cooking, whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour, and return it to the slow cooker for another 15-30 minutes on high until thickened.
- Vegetable Variations: Feel free to add other root vegetables like diced potatoes (sweet or regular), parsnips, or even bell peppers (added with the greens) for more variety.
Storage and Freezing
This slow cooker pork and vegetable stew is excellent for meal prep and makes fantastic leftovers. Here’s how to store it:
- Refrigeration: Store leftover stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: This stew freezes beautifully! Allow it to cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Embrace the ease and deliciousness of slow cooking with this incredible pork and vegetable stew. It’s a comforting, healthy, and budget-friendly meal that will quickly become a family favorite.
Love your slow cooker as much as I do? Here are some more easy and delicious slow cooker recipes to try:
Easy Slow Cooker Cheesy Garlic Scalloped Potatoes
Slow Cooker Italian Roast Beef
Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Chicken & Vegetables
This recipe has been thoughtfully updated to provide even more detail and deliciousness, building on its original publication from 2010.