Slow cooker beef stew with dumplings

A recipe from our friends at Love Food Hate Waste

A hearty and comforting slow cooker beef stew, packed with tender chunks of beef, wholesome vegetables, and topped with fluffy dumplings. Perfect for an easy, warming meal everyone will love.

Ingredients

• 600-900g diced beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 sticks of celery
• 3 carrots, chopped (No need to peel, just give them a good wash!)
• Mushrooms, courgettes, or any other vegetable you have that needs using up in the fridge
• 50g suet (vegetable or beef)
• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 stock cube (vegetable or beef)
• Bouquet de garni or bay leaves
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 100g self-raising flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley or thyme (optional)
• Dried herbs work just as well.
• Worcestershire sauce or leftover red wine (optional)

Method

1. Heat your oil of choice in a large frying pan before lightly frying the garlic cloves.
2. Take the diced beef and coat with a handful of flour in a separate bowl along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Once the meat is fully coated place in the frying pan with the garlic and fry on high for a few minutes until the meat is brown.
4. Empty the meat into your slow cooker and reduce the heat.
5. Fry your onions and chopped vegetables of choice for 5 minutes before again adding to the slow cooker.
6. Mix the stock cube in 600ml of warm water.
7. Add red wine or some of your stock and turn up the heat for a few minutes to clean, or ‘deglaze’, your pan. Deglaze is fancy word for getting all the brown bits off the bottom! Tip the contents into the slow cooker.
8. Add the rest of your stock, red wine, a glug of Worcestershire sauce, or herbs like bay leaves of bouquet de garni that you might have in the cupboard.
9. Put the slow cooker on high for 5 hours or low for 8.
10. To make the dumplings mix 50 grams of suet with 100 grams of self-raising flour and roughly 5 tablespoons of water. You can add salt, parsley or thyme at this stage depending on your preference.
11. Knead the dough with your hands until it is firm but pliable and shape into 8 balls of dough.
12. Half an hour before you plan to eat your stew pop your dumpling balls on top and let them brown.
13. Serve the stew hot, we love it with mashed potato and peas.

About Love Food Hate Waste NZ
Love Food Hate Waste NZ empowers Kiwis to waste less food, save money, and protect the planet. Through practical tips, clever storage solutions, and easy recipes, they help households make the most of their food—one meal at a time. Join the movement to reduce food waste at www.lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz