Description
A hearty and classic beef stew topped with fluffy, homemade dumplings. This one-pot meal is pure comfort food, perfect for warming up on a cold day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- For the Dumplings:
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
- In a bowl, toss the beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, then set aside.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Return the beef to the pot. Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Bring the stew to a simmer, then cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- While the stew is baking, prepare the dumpling dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually add the milk, stirring until just combined to form a soft dough. Do not overmix.
- About 30 minutes before the stew is done, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Bring the stew back to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.
- Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the surface of the simmering stew.
- Cover the pot tightly and cook for 15-20 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed up and cooked through.
- Serve your delicious beef stew and dumplings hot.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, you can brown the beef in batches to ensure a good sear on all sides.
- If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can make your own by mixing 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 3 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- For a vegetarian option, substitute the beef with hearty mushrooms and lentils and use vegetable stock.
- This beef stew with dumplings tastes even better the next day, making it great for meal prep.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Oven-Baked Stew with Steamed Dumplings
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1.5 cups stew with 2 dumplings)
- Calories: Approximately 650-750 kcal (will vary based on exact ingredients and portion)
- Sugar: Approximately 8-12g
- Sodium: Approximately 800-1200mg
- Fat: Approximately 35-45g
- Saturated Fat: Approximately 15-20g
- Unsaturated Fat: Approximately 20-25g
- Trans Fat: Less than 1g
- Carbohydrates: Approximately 40-50g
- Fiber: Approximately 4-6g
- Protein: Approximately 40-50g
- Cholesterol: Approximately 120-150mg