Pull out all of your ingredients.
Pull out meat and set to side so it can get closer to room temp.
Wash and chop veggies into big chunks.
*You do not need to peel the carrots.
Add chopped veggies to crockpot in order of carrots, celery and potatoes. Reserve onion.
Save the celery end and add to the crockpot, this adds flavor to the broth.
Add 4 cups of filtered water, 1 heaping tablespoon of salt and minced garlic to veggies.
To brown stew meat on stove top, add extra virgin olive oil, and, salt to pan and turn on to medium high heat. Add meat to a pre-heated pan for a few minutes on each side generously coating meat in salt and garlic powder as you cook.
Add meat to the slow cooker once browned but not cooked through.
Saute diced onion in same pan you used for the meat and add plus any juices to the pot.
Add 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and bay leaves to pot.
Set to low and cook for 6 hours.
Serve in large bowl or pull out veggies and meat separately for picky eaters.
Top with coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.