Beef Stew and Dumplings

Beef stew and dumplings is a dish that epitomizes comfort food at its finest. Imagine a cold, blustery evening where the warmth of a hearty stew is exactly what you need. This British dish brings together tender pieces of beef, a medley of vegetables, and soft, flavourful dumplings to create a meal that is both satisfying and nourishing.

At the heart of this dish is lean beef, cubed to ensure even cooking and a tender result. The beef is first seared in a bit of sunflower oil, which helps to lock in the flavours and create a delicious base for the stew. The vegetables – onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and potatoes – are added to the mix, each contributing their own unique flavours and textures. Onions bring a subtle sweetness, carrots add a touch of earthiness, celery provides a slight crunch, mushrooms give a savoury depth, and potatoes offer a hearty and filling component.

To bring all these elements together, a low-salt stock cube dissolved in boiling water is used. This not only helps in controlling the sodium content but also ensures that the dish is well-seasoned without being overpowering. A tablespoon of plain flour is sprinkled over the beef and vegetables, which helps in thickening the stew as it simmers. This creates a rich, velvety broth that is packed with flavour and perfect for soaking up with bread or, in this case, dumplings.

Speaking of dumplings, they are a delightful addition to the stew. Made from wholemeal flour, baking powder, white pepper, dried thyme, and fresh parsley, these dumplings are not only tasty but also have a wholesome quality. The semi-skimmed milk and a touch of olive oil help to bind the ingredients together, forming a soft dough. When placed on top of the stew, the dumplings cook to perfection, developing a light crust on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside.

Cooking the stew in the oven allows the flavours to meld together beautifully, and adding the dumplings towards the end ensures they are cooked just right. The result is a dish that is not only visually appealing, with its array of colours and textures, but also incredibly satisfying.

Basically beef stew and dumplings is the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out, providing comfort and nourishment in every bite. When you want to enjoy a hearty, home-cooked meal, this dish is sure to please. So next time the weather turns chilly, consider making beef stew and dumplings – your taste buds will thank you!

Beef Stew and Dumplings

This hearty Beef Stew and Dumplings recipe combines tender chunks of beef simmered to perfection in a rich, savoury broth with vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions. The stew is topped with fluffy, homemade dumplings that absorb the flavourful broth as they cook, creating a comforting and satisfying one-pot meal.

4.79 from 37 votes

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Beef, Beef Stew and Dumplings, Dairy, Dumplings, Herbs, Stew, Vegetables

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 People

Calories: 403kcal

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Ingredients

 

MetricImperial

• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 500 g beef lean /cubed
• 300 g onions chopped
• 300 g carrots chopped
• 1 stick celery 60g, sliced
• 250 g mushrooms sliced
• 300 g potatoes diced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1.5 L beef stock or vegetable

Dumpling Ingredients:

• 200 g wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 100 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F/gas 4. Add the oil to a large pan, and after 2–3 minutes add the beef. Stir for 2 minutes.
  1 tsp sunflower oil, 500 g beef
• Once the meat has sealed, add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms, and cook for 3–4 minutes.
  300 g onions, 300 g carrots, 1 stick celery, 250 g mushrooms
• Add the potatoes and sprinkle the flour over the dish, coating the beef and vegetables evenly.
  300 g potatoes, 1 tbsp plain flour
• Gradually pour in the stock, stirring constantly. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until it thickens.
  1.5 L beef stock
• Remove from heat and place in an overproof dish, cover and cook in the oven for 1¼ hours.
• After the stew has been cooking for 1 hour, make the dumplings: Add the flour, baking powder, pepper, thyme and parsley to a bowl, then gradually stir in the milk, mixing well to form a soft dough. So the dough doesn’t stick, use the olive oil to oil your hands, then roll the dough into six balls and set aside.
  200 g wholemeal flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 100 ml semi-skimmed milk, 1 tsp olive oil
• Place the dumplings on top of the stew and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes until they are cooked with a light crust, but still soft.

Notes

Recipe tips
Make this classic dish veggie-friendly by replacing the lean beef with a meat substitute, or by simply adding more vegetables.

To lower the carbohydrate count of this dish, try making smaller dumplings or leave them out completely.

To make the stock, add a low salt stock cube to 1.5 litres of boiling water and stir unable the cube is fully dissolved.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 20629mg | Potassium: 1549mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 8468IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 5mg