Description
A hearty and comforting slow cooker vegetable stew loaded with fresh vegetables, creamy beans, and topped with cheesy cheddar suet dumplings. Perfect for a cozy meal, this stew simmers gently for hours to develop rich flavors and a luscious texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetable Stew
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200g baby carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and halved if large
- 3 leeks, cut into thick slices
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 2 courgettes, cut into large chunks
- 2 x 400g cans butter or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 thyme, rosemary or tarragon sprigs
- 200ml crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 200g broad beans or peas
- 200g spinach
- ½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
Cheddar Dumplings
- 100g self-raising flour
- 50g vegetarian suet or cold butter, grated
- 100g mature cheddar
- ½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 3–4 tbsp cold water (plus a little more if needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the carrots: Set the slow cooker to low. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the baby carrots for 5 minutes until just golden. Then transfer the carrots to the slow cooker.
- Cook leeks and make the base: Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the frying pan. Add the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt and fry for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the crushed garlic and then add the plain flour, mixing well.
- Add vegetable stock: Gradually pour in the vegetable stock while stirring continuously to dissolve the flour and avoid lumps. Bring this mixture to a boil on the stove.
- Combine in slow cooker: Tip the leek and stock mixture into the slow cooker with the carrots. Add the courgettes, drained beans, bay leaf, and herb sprigs. If necessary, top up with water to cover the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Make dumplings dough: In a bowl, combine the self-raising flour with the vegetarian suet or grated cold butter until evenly distributed. Stir in the mature cheddar, chopped parsley, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Add 3-4 tablespoons of cold water and mix with your hands to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add more water if needed.
- Form dumplings: Divide the dough into six equal portions and roll each into a ball.
- Add final ingredients and cook dumplings: Stir the crème fraîche, wholegrain mustard, broad beans or peas, and spinach into the slow cooker. Increase the slow cooker setting to high. Arrange the dumplings evenly over the stew, cover, and cook for an additional 1-2 hours until the dumplings are firm and have doubled in size.
- Serve and garnish: Scatter freshly chopped parsley over the stew and serve hot. This stew can be stored in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.
Notes
- Chop the vegetables into large chunks to prevent them from becoming mushy during the slow cooking.
- This recipe can be easily halved for smaller slow cookers.
- Vegetarian suet can be substituted with cold butter for a slightly different texture in dumplings.
- Ensure dumplings are spaced evenly in the slow cooker for even cooking.
- Adding extra water may be necessary depending on your slow cooker’s capacity and evaporation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5-6 hours
- Category: Stew
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: slow cooker vegetable stew, cheddar dumplings, vegetarian stew, slow cooked vegetables, hearty vegetable stew, cheese dumplings
