Home » Recipes » Beef » Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Dumplings
A stew is a great way of using up leftovers and those little bits of stray veg left in the bottom of the fridge,or in freezer bags that you keep promising to use. You can mix it up any way you like and use stuff you or the family maybe don't like so much, as the slow cooker will blend everything together, or you can just keep it simple and do a classic meat and two veg. I've used some cooked Mediterranean mixed veg,some peppers and wholegrain mustard. The addition of dumplings makes it a very filling meal and a nice change to potatoes. The beauty of this is it's totally upto you. This recipe is primarily a guide so you can tailor it to suit you. Why not have a go and let us know how you get on.
500 g Stewing steak
2 Onions sliced
100 g Mediterranean mixed veg-cooked (optional)
2 Handfuls of diced carrot & turnip
2 Handfuls of mixed peppers sliced
1 tbsp Wholegrain mustard
500 ml Beef Stock
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tsp Sugar
1 Garlic clove chopped
3 tbsp Flour
1 tsp Salt & chilli seasoning-recipe on the website
For the dumplings
250 g S.R. flour
120 g Cold Butter
2 pinches Garlic powder
1 pinch S&P
1 Handful of shredded spinach
15 ml Water
1
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and add the onion
2
Fry for 2-3mns then add the chopped garlic, soy sauce and sugar,mix through and continue frying for 2mns to caramelize them.
3
Transfer to the Slow Cooker
4
Add the flour and salt & chilli seasoning or just S&P to a plate and mix through
5
Add the stewing beef
6
Toss in the seasoned flour till completely coated
7
Fry on a med/high heat in a little oil till the beef is seared on all sides (2-3mns) but not cooked. You may need to do this in batches
8
Searing the beef adds flavour and the flour will thicken the gravy
9
Transfer to the Slow cooker
10
Add the carrot, turnip and any cooked veg along with the mustard
11
Add the peppers and stock then place the lid on.
12
Cook on low for 6-8hrs or on high for 4-5hrs
13
Meanwhile to make the dumplings add the flour to a bowl
14
Grate in the cold butter,rub a little flour on your hands then rub the butter and flour together to form a crumb
15
Add the S&P, garlic powder and chopped spinach and mix through
16
Add a little water at a time and mix till it forms a dough. Divide into 6 lge or 12 smll pieces and roll them in your hands to form a golf ball sized dumpling. - if they're sticky add some more flour to your hands.
17
Add to the slow cooker 40 mns before the end of cooking. They will soak up lots of liquid and remain soft so if you want you can finish them off in the oven to crisp up the top.
18
Serve the stew with crusty bread and some veg on the side-I like buttery peas.
19
Swap the cooked veg for any fresh you have.
Swap the fresh herbs for dried mixed herbs
Swap the mustard for tomato puree
Swap the butter for suet.
You can add lentils or oats to bulk out the stew -just add at the beginning of the cooking process.
CategoryBeef
Ingredients
500 g Stewing steak
2 Onions sliced
100 g Mediterranean mixed veg-cooked (optional)
2 Handfuls of diced carrot & turnip
2 Handfuls of mixed peppers sliced
1 tbsp Wholegrain mustard
500 ml Beef Stock
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tsp Sugar
1 Garlic clove chopped
3 tbsp Flour
1 tsp Salt & chilli seasoning-recipe on the website
For the dumplings
250 g S.R. flour
120 g Cold Butter
2 pinches Garlic powder
1 pinch S&P
1 Handful of shredded spinach
15 ml Water
Directions
1
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and add the onion
2
Fry for 2-3mns then add the chopped garlic, soy sauce and sugar,mix through and continue frying for 2mns to caramelize them.
3
Transfer to the Slow Cooker
4
Add the flour and salt & chilli seasoning or just S&P to a plate and mix through
5
Add the stewing beef
6
Toss in the seasoned flour till completely coated
7
Fry on a med/high heat in a little oil till the beef is seared on all sides (2-3mns) but not cooked. You may need to do this in batches
8
Searing the beef adds flavour and the flour will thicken the gravy
9
Transfer to the Slow cooker
10
Add the carrot, turnip and any cooked veg along with the mustard
11
Add the peppers and stock then place the lid on.
12
Cook on low for 6-8hrs or on high for 4-5hrs
13
Meanwhile to make the dumplings add the flour to a bowl
14
Grate in the cold butter,rub a little flour on your hands then rub the butter and flour together to form a crumb
15
Add the S&P, garlic powder and chopped spinach and mix through
16
Add a little water at a time and mix till it forms a dough. Divide into 6 lge or 12 smll pieces and roll them in your hands to form a golf ball sized dumpling. - if they're sticky add some more flour to your hands.
17
Add to the slow cooker 40 mns before the end of cooking. They will soak up lots of liquid and remain soft so if you want you can finish them off in the oven to crisp up the top.
18
Serve the stew with crusty bread and some veg on the side-I like buttery peas.
19
Swap the cooked veg for any fresh you have.
Swap the fresh herbs for dried mixed herbs
Swap the mustard for tomato puree
Swap the butter for suet.
You can add lentils or oats to bulk out the stew -just add at the beginning of the cooking process.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Dumplings
IngredientsDirections
