Go Back
ultimate beef stew and dumplings
Victoria Haneveer

Beef Stew and Dumplings

This rich-flavored beef stew is complemented with homemade herb dumplings. The stew slow-cooks until everything is tender, then the wonderfully herby dumplings go in later. This makes a tasty and satisfying meal, and is especially popular during the cooler months in fall and winter. Just look how tasty these herby homemade dumplings are and they are the perfect accompaniment to such a tasty beef stew recipe. This is quite an aromatic crockpot beef stew, thanks to the thyme, mustard, wine and of course the herbs used in the dumplings. It's also fortified with mushrooms for an earthy flavor and the red wine (or use beef broth if you prefer) really gives this crockpot beef stew a wonderful richness, bringing out the flavor of the meat. This is a very simple recipe, considering how great it tastes. Start making it early to ensure it is ready by dinnertime. The smell will be making your mouth water before dinnertime rolls around - guaranteed!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Dish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds (1 kg) top round steak or lean stewing beef, in 1-inch (2½ cm) chunks
  • 2 sliced celery stalks
  • 4 carrots, in ½-inch (1¼ cm) slices
  • 2 sliced yellow onions
  • ¼ cup (60ml) water
  • ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (185ml) dry red wine or beef broth
  • 8 sliced medium mushrooms
  • 14½ ounces (400g) can diced tomatoes in juice
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
For the Dumplings:
  • ½ cup (125ml) milk
  • 1½ cups Bisquick
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon dried sage
  • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary

Method
 

  1. Put the beef, celery, carrots, onions, tomatoes, thyme, pepper, mustard, mushrooms, and wine or beef broth into a slow cooker.
  2. Cover and cook on a low heat for 8 to 10 hours or a high heat for 4 or 5 hours.
  3. The vegetables and beef will become tender - don't open the crockpot as it cooks (you'll lengthen the cooking time if you do!)
  4. Nest, combine the flour with the water and stir this mixture slowly into the beef stew.
  5. Combine the Bisquick with the thyme, sage and rosemary and stir in the milk until the mixture is just moistened.
  6. Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough on to the hot beef stew.
  7. Cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes.

Notes

  • If you are using wine, use all the salt. If you are using beef broth you might not need it depending on the saltiness of the broth so taste it to see.
  • The beef stew with dumplings is ready when a toothpick inserted into the herb dumplings comes out clean.
  • Sub potatoes in place of the carrots if you want a beef stew with dumplings and potatoes. You could even try another vegetable such as parsnip, turnip or rutabaga if you want to get experimental.
  • Some home cooks like to brown the beef on the stove before adding it to the crockpot, for additional depth of flavor. This step is optional but if you have the time, you might want to consider it.