Description
A hearty and comforting Slow Cooker Beef Stew with tender chunks of beef, vegetables, and flavorful herbs, topped with fluffy homemade dumplings cooked right in the stew. Perfect for a cozy family meal.
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
- Prepare the beef: Season the beef with salt and pepper then toss it in flour to lightly coat each piece, which helps thicken the stew as it cooks.
- Add ingredients to slow cooker: Place the coated beef in the slow cooker. Add beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, chopped onion, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Cook stew: Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours until beef is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
- Make dumpling batter: About 30 minutes before the stew finishes cooking, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk until a thick batter forms that can be easily scooped.
- Add peas and season: When the stew cooking time is up, stir frozen peas into the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Add dumplings and finish cooking: Drop 6-8 spoonfuls of dumpling batter evenly onto the stew. Cover and cook for 1 more hour to allow dumplings to cook through and become fluffy.
- Serve: Remove herb sprigs and bay leaves before serving. Ladle the stew and dumplings into bowls and enjoy your hearty, comforting meal.
Notes
- For a thicker stew, toss beef well with flour before cooking and stir occasionally during the slow cooking.
- You can substitute red wine with more beef broth if preferred.
- If you don't have a pastry cutter, use two knives or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour.
- Make sure dumplings are thick enough to hold shape when dropped into stew.
- Use Yukon gold potatoes as they hold their shape well during slow cooking.
- Remove herb sprigs and bay leaves before serving to avoid biting into woody textures.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
