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Overhead shot of a bowl of beef stew with dumplings, carrots, celery, and onions in a thick broth.

Beef Stew and Dumplings

Hearty beef stew and dumplings made with tender beef, vegetables, and fluffy dumplings in a rich broth. Ready in 50 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 500
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Beef Stew
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced diced
  • 4 carrots, diced diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced sliced
  • 2 lb beef, cut into 1-inch cubes cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste to taste
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 8 cups beef stock
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes optional
  • 1 cup red wine optional
Dumplings
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 125 g
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme

Method
 

Beef Stew

  1. Heat butter in pot:

    In a stock pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil.

  2. Season beef cubes:

    Season the beef cubes with half the salt, pepper, and thyme (plus extra seasonings if desired).

  3. Brown beef cubes:

    Brown the beef on all sides, roughly 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a small bowl.

  4. Add remaining butter:

    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the stock pot.

  5. Sauté vegetables:

    Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the hot butter until the onion turns translucent, about 3 minutes.

  6. Cook garlic and seasonings:

    Add the garlic and the rest of the seasonings, cooking for 1 minute.

  7. Add tomato paste and liquids:

    Mix in the tomato paste, then add the beef, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, crushed tomatoes (if using), red wine (if using), and beef stock.

  8. Bring stew to boil:

    Cover the pot and bring the stew to a boil.

  9. Simmer while making dough:

    Lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer while you make the dumpling dough.
Dumplings

  1. Combine dumpling ingredients:

    In a medium bowl, combine the dumpling ingredients: flour, 1 tablespoon butter, milk, salt, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Stir until just combined; the dough will be quite sticky.

  2. Drop dough into stew:

    Drop the dough by 2-tablespoon portions into the simmering stew. Cover the pot with a lid.

  3. Simmer until dumplings puff:

    Simmer for 10 minutes, until the dumplings have puffed up and roughly tripled in size.