just begins to boil or simmer. place the celery, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, and thyme in the slow cooker. pour broth mixture over everything in the slow cooker. add minute tapioca to the slow cooker and mix everything together. at this point i add a few pinches of salt and freshly ground pepper. cover and cook on high for 6 hours. *at the 5 hour mark, i gently mix the stew and taste test, adding salt, pepper, and more broth as needed ( i usually add at least another half cup of broth at this point). continue to cook for one more hour. remove bay leaves and enjoy!
my husband and 