Slow Cooker Beef Stew & Dumplings

A delicious stew topped with herb dumplings is the perfect autumn comfort food. This easy slow cooker recipe does not require browning. Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and you will have a delicious dinner!

Everyone loves a simple slow cooker recipe. With this in mind, I encourage you to use the ingredients you have in the pantry and substituting where neccesary.

These dumplings are made with Shredded Beef Suet, but if you struggle to get hold of this in your local shops, try to locate a packet dumpling mix.

Ingredients  

Beef Stew

• 1 Onion (chopped evenly)
• 2 tbsp Oil (I usually use sesame)
• 3 Carrots (chopped evenly)
• 1 tbsp Parsley (or handful of fresh)
• 1 tbsp Thyme (or handful of fresh)
• 2 tbsp Tomato Purée
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Beef stock cubes
• 900 g Braising beef in inch chunks

Dumplings

Handful of parsley (optional)

150 g Self-raising flour

70 g Suet

I also use onions, leeks, carrots and parsnips to my stews. You can use whatever root vegetables you fancy such as potatoes or swede. 

Instructions 

Beef Stew

• In your slow cooker, add the onion, carrots, oil, thyme, parsley, stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce and 700ml boiling water. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don’t add salt yet as the stock may be enough)
• Add the beef into your slow cooker and mix again.
• Turn your slow cooker on high if cooking for 4 hours. Turn your slow cooker on low if cooking for 8-10 hours.
• With 30 minutes cook time remaining, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, and add your dumplings mixture below

Dumplings (add 30 mins before stew is cooked)

Add the dumplings on top of your stew and cover with the slow cooker lid. Cook the stew and dumplings for 30 minutes and serve immediately.

In a bowl, add the flour, suet and parsley. Make a well in the centre and add 3 tbsp cold water, mix to a dough, adding more water until the dough is firm but pliable. Divide into eight equal pieces