Homestead Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

Tender Homestead stewing beef, root vegetables and rich bone broth simmered low and slow, then topped with fluffy herb dumplings. This is cold-weather comfort food at its best.

Serves 6

For the Beef Stew

  • 2 lbs Homestead stewing beef
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp cooking tallow or oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 carrots, cut into chunks
  • 3 potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cups Homestead beef bone broth or beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup frozen peas, optional

For the Herb Dumplings

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tbsp cold butter
  • ¾ cup milk

Make the Stew

  1. Pat the stewing beef dry. Toss with flour, salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the tallow in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches so the pieces develop a good crust rather than steaming. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute.
  4. Return the beef to the pot. Add bone broth, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.
  5. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low for approximately 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add carrots and potatoes and continue simmering for another 30–40 minutes, or until the beef and vegetables are tender.
  7. Stir in peas, if using. Remove the bay leaves and taste for seasoning.

Make the Dumplings

  1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, parsley and thyme.
  2. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Stir in the milk just until a soft dough forms. Don't overmix.
  4. Drop spoonfuls of dough directly onto the gently simmering stew.
  5. Cover tightly and cook for approximately 15 minutes without lifting the lid. The dumplings should be puffed and cooked through.

Stock the Freezer: Beef Stew

This is an excellent cook once, eat twice recipe.

Make a double batch of the beef stew but don't add the dumplings to the portion you're freezing.

Cool the stew promptly, portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving some room for expansion, label and freeze. For best quality, use within about 3 months.

When you're ready for it, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat the stew until piping hot throughout. Once it's gently simmering, mix up a fresh batch of dumpling dough, drop it on top and cook as directed.

Homestead Tip: Freeze the stew in meal-sized portions. A container of homemade beef stew in the freezer plus 10 minutes to mix fresh dumplings = a from-scratch winter dinner without starting from scratch.