Crock Pot Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 1/2 cups red cooking wine
1 pound potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (I used fingerling potatoes)
2 cups baby carrots, cut in half
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2-3 cups frozen soup diced vegetable mix (depending on how many veggies you like)

Directions:

1. Coat the beef in the flour. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer browned pieces to the slow cooker.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and coat the onions. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
3. Pour the wine into the skillet to deglaze (scrape up browned bits); add mixture to the slow cooker.
4. Stir in the beef broth, potatoes, carrots, salt, thyme and bay leaf.
5. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 1/2 hours or on high heat for 4 hours. One hour before cooking is complete, add the frozen soup vegetables and stir.