ROOT VEGETABLE STEW & DUMPLINGS
When I gave up meat, a hearty, comforting stew was one of the dishes I missed the most – until I came up with this! It's vegan comfort food at its finest.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 2 onions chopped into chunks
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 500 g carrots chopped into chunks
- 500 g waxy potatoes peeled & chopped into chunks (or use new potatoes, which don’t need peeling!)
- 500 g swede peeled & chopped into chunks
- 250 g parsnips peeled & chopped into chunks
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 x 400g cans chickpeas drained & rinsed
- 5 tbsp tomato puree
- 500 ml red wine
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- to serve: fresh parsley
DUMPLINGS
- 100 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50 g vegetable suet
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 150°c (fan assisted)/335°f/gas 3.
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Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and fry for 8-10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute or so, just to soften.
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Add the carrots, potatoes, swede, parsnips and a really good pinch of salt and black pepper to the pot. Give everything a good stir, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the veg has softened slightly. Sprinkle over the flour and smoked paprika, then cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the flour is translucent.
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Stir in the chickpeas, tomato puree, red wine, vegetable stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover with a lid and transfer into the oven to bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, stir the flour, baking powder, vegetable suet, parsley and a good pinch of salt and black pepper together in a mixing bowl. Add a tbsp of water at a time, mixing in between, until the dough just about comes together (I find it needs ∼5 tbsp). Divide the dough into 6 sections and roll each one into a ball. Refrigerate for later.
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Remove the stew from the oven and give it a mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Arrange the dumplings evenly on top, then re-cover the pot with its lid and return to the oven for a further 25-30 minutes, or until the dumplings are golden and puffy. Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Looking for more vegan comfort food recipes? Try this Pesto Baked Risotto.
Can you cook this is advance and freeze it?
Yes – I would just defrost/re-cook it in the oven x