Description
This hearty Vegan Stew and Dumplings recipe features a flavorful vegetable-packed stew simmered with tender vegan dumplings made from scratch. Filled with mushrooms, carrots, green beans, peas, and navy beans in a savory tomato and herb broth, this comforting dish is perfect for a nourishing plant-based meal. The dumplings are light and chewy, cooked directly in the stew for an easy one-pot dish that serves six.
Ingredients
Stew Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced (~1 1/2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 1 cup carrot, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1-1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 2/3 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces, fresh or frozen
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 15.5 ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dumpling Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup warm water (~100˚F)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Add olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Cook Vegetables: Stir in sliced celery, carrot rounds, mushrooms, tomato paste, poultry seasoning, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes more, stirring occasionally to soften the vegetables and blend flavors.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Add peas, green beans, bay leaves, white wine vinegar, and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and vegetables to cook through.
- Prepare Dumpling Dough: While the stew simmers, in a medium bowl combine all purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add vegan butter pieces and use your hands to cut the butter into the flour until no large lumps remain, being careful not to overwork the dough as some butter chunks are okay.
- Form Dumpling Batter: Add warm water to the flour and butter mixture. Mix by hand until the dough comes together into a soft, slightly sticky batter suitable for dropping into the stew.
- Add Dumplings to Stew: Using approximately 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of dough per dumpling, roll into small balls and gently drop them into the simmering stew. Increase heat to medium and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, allowing the dumplings to cook through while maintaining a soft exterior and chewy interior.
- Stir Occasionally: Stir the stew gently every 5 minutes to ensure dumplings cook evenly and don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in drained navy beans and chopped fresh parsley. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Remove bay leaves. Serve the stew warm, enjoying the tender vegetables and fluffy vegan dumplings.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen peas and green beans based on availability; both work well in this stew.
- Don’t overknead the dumpling dough to keep dumplings tender rather than dense.
- Vegan butter can be substituted with coconut oil or another plant-based fat if preferred.
- Simmering with the lid on helps to cook the vegetables evenly but keep an eye to avoid boiling over.
- Leftovers taste great reheated and dumplings may absorb more broth; add extra vegetable broth or water when reheating if needed.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-containing because of all purpose flour; gluten-free flour blends can be tested as a substitution for dumplings if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Stews
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, American-style Comfort
