Description
A hearty and comforting Slow Cooker Beef Stew with tender vegetables and fluffy dumplings, perfect for a filling family meal with minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
For the stew:
- 2 lbs stew beef, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the dumplings:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- Season and coat beef: Season the beef pieces with salt and pepper, then toss them in flour to lightly coat each piece.
- Add ingredients to slow cooker: Place the coated beef into the slow cooker. Add beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, chopped onion, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Stir everything together to combine.
- Cook stew: Cook the mixture on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours until the beef is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
- Prepare dumpling batter: In the last 30 minutes of slow cooking, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in the milk to form a thick batter suitable for spooning.
- Finish stew and add peas: When the cooking time is up, stir the frozen peas into the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add dumplings and cook: Spoon 6 to 8 dollops of dumpling batter over the stew. Cover the slow cooker again and cook for 1 more hour to allow dumplings to cook through and become fluffy.
- Serve: Once dumplings are cooked, serve the stew hot and enjoy this comforting meal.
Notes
- For thicker stew, use less beef broth or simmer uncovered for 15 minutes after cooking to reduce liquid.
- Make sure dumpling batter is thick enough to hold shape when dropped by spoonfuls; adjust milk quantity slightly if needed.
- You can substitute red wine with additional beef broth if preferred.
- Fresh herbs can be replaced with 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and 1 teaspoon dried thyme if fresh are unavailable.
- To make the dumplings dairy-free, substitute butter with a vegan butter and use a plant-based milk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
