Weight Watchers SmartPoints Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Irish Stew
How will you be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? We usually mark the day with Corned Beef and Cabbage. (Click here to find all my WW Friendly Recipes Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day)
I love it. But there are other alternatives, like this hearty, satisfying Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Irish Stew made with lamb, potatoes, onions and carrots.
If you don’t eat lamb or can’t find it, beef makes a delicious substitute.
WW Friendly Slow Cooker Irish Stew
Fantastic on a cold, blustery day-served with a pint of Irish stout, of course.
Skinny on Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Irish Stew
There is no one way to make Irish stew. Every Irish household has its own version of this classic dish.
At its most basic, traditional Irish stew has only a few ingredients: lamb, onions and potatoes.
In southern Ireland carrots are added, and some cooks venture so far as to add turnips.
I go as far as to add diced tomatoes, which might be heresy to some.
I provide instructions for cooking this Irish stew in the slow cooker. But you could always put it in a covered ovenproof pot and let it simmer away in a low oven instead.
To save time in the morning, prep the ingredients the night before, load them in the slow cooker insert and refrigerate overnight. Then pull the insert of the fridge in the morning and let it sit on the counter for a while to take the chill off before popping it into your slow cooker and then turning it to LOW.
If you are worried about cracking your ceramic insert or don’t have room in your fridge, place all the prepped ingredients in a tupperware container or large zipper-lock bag instead.
Enjoy!
Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Irish Stew Recipe Variations
no lamb – substitute cubes of stewing beef
no stout – a type of dark ale, gives this stew a rich, roasted flavor. Use any dark, brown or amber ale or use another cup of broth, if you prefer not to use beer.
no parsnips – use more carrots
herbs – fresh or dried thyme or rosemary would be nice
If you liked this slow cooker Irish stew be sure to check out some of my other hearty Weight Watchers friendly stew recipes including Weight Watchers Chicken Brunswick Stew, Healthy Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew, Crock Pot Stew Beef and Gravy, Mom’s Hearty Lentil Sausage Stew, Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew or Slow Cooker Root Vegetable Sausage Stew!
I provide instructions for cooking this Irish stew in the slow cooker. But you could always put it in a covered ovenproof pot and let it simmer away in a low oven instead. (325 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup Irish stout (such as Guinness)
- 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 carrots, peelt and cut into chunks
- 2 parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices
- 1 small turnip, peeled, halved and each half cut into 8 chunks
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)
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Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 5-Quart
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Combine the broth, stout, lamb, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, parsnips, carrots, turnips, bay leaf, salt and pepper in the crock pot.
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Cover and cook on LOW until the lamb is fork-tender and vegetables soft, 6 to 8 hours.
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To thicken the stew, stir together the flour and 1/2 cup water (or shake it together in a covered jar) until smooth. Stir into the stew.
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Cover and cook on HIGH until thickened, about 20 minutes.
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Remove the bay leaf and stir in the peas and parsley before serving.
*10 Weight Watchers PointsPlus
*10 Weight Watchers SmartPoints
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Source: WW One Pot Cookbook
*PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT Weight Watchers Zero Points fruits and vegetables using the WW Recipe Builder.
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What could I substitute for the lamb? I’ve never developed a taste for it.
OH, never mind 🙂 I read from the top down 🙂
Hi Betty,
Glad the post answered the question about lamb substitutes for you!!