• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Real Meal Deal
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Eco Living
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Eco Living
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Eco Living
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Easy Vegan Stew with Dumplings

    Published: Oct 23, 2020 · Modified: Nov 3, 2022 by REALMEALDEAL ·

    A Vegan Stew with light fluffy vegan dumplings is a great one-pot dish and the perfect comfort food for colder days. This easy recipe is cheap to make and needs just 10 minutes of prep time.

    casserole dish with vegan stew and dumplings
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Seasonal vegetables are cooked in a thick tomato sauce. For more easy vegan one-pot recipes, why not try my Aubergine and Chickpea curry, Mixed Bean Goulash, or easy Vegan Sausage Casserole?

    Also, check out my tips for different flavours to add to your vegan dumplings to make them even more delicious!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Tips and Variations
    • Vegan Dumplings
    • How to make Vegan Dumplings
    • Flavours to add to Vegan Dumplings
    • What to serve with Stew
    • Sustainability
    • Storage
    • Top Tip for Leftover Vegan Stew
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    This is a simple vegan stew recipe with minimal ingredients. See tips below for other vegetables and extras you can add to make it go further and avoid food waste.

    labelled ingredients for how to make vegan stew
    • Fresh thyme adds lots of flavour. Use dried if you don't have fresh
    • Tinned or canned tomatoes. As always, buy the best quality you can afford. Cheaper varieties have a higher water content. If your sauce is not thick enough, add some plain flour or cornflour/cornstarch to thicken it (see tip below)
    • Worcestershire sauce is not vegan as it contains anchovies, but you can buy a vegan version.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Gather all your ingredients together and slice or chop the vegetables into small pieces about 2cm in diameter.

    leeks and onion frying in casserole dish

    Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large casserole pan and fry the onion and leek for around 5 minutes until soft.

    leeks carrots sweet potato onion and parsnip frying in casserole dish

    Add the carrots, parsnips, and sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

    tomato sauce added to vegetables for vegan stew

    Add the tinned tomatoes, passata, vegetable stock, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Make sure the liquid covers the vegetables. Bring to a boil then cover it and place it in the oven for 30 minutes.

    dumplings added to top of vegan stew

    Make the dumplings (see below) then carefully place them on top of the stew for the last 20 minutes of cooking and leave the stew uncovered.

    Tips and Variations

    Vegetables. Root vegetables are in season in autumn and winter and go well in a vegan stew as they benefit from slightly longer cooking without turning mushy. In this recipe, I've used onions, leeks, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. There are no hard and fast rules about which vegetables you can include and it's a good way to use up any leftover bits. Some root vegetables such as butternut squash and swede will need slighter longer cooking as they are a bit denser. Test them with a fork to check if they are soft enough at the end of the cooking time. You could also add some mushrooms.

    The sauce. I've used tomato sauce as the base for this vegan stew as it brings lots of flavour and is nice and thick. The tomato flavour goes well with the sweetness of the root vegetables and is one more vegetable, making this a great nutritional dish.

    Herbs. Thyme has a lovely earthy flavour but is also slightly sweet and peppery. Fresh thyme leaves are best but you can also use dried. In the image below, I've topped the stew with fresh parsley. Parsley has a lighter crisper flavour.

    vegan stew and dumplings in tomato sauce in casserole dish

    Vegan Dumplings

    Vegan dumplings are a great addition to any stew or casserole and are very easy to make. These dumplings are made with flour and a vegan suet, which is made from vegetable oil and wheat flour and are not what some also call potstickers or Asian dumplings. They are baked on top of the stew and have a light fluffy texture.

    How to make Vegan Dumplings

    For a simple dumpling, all you need is self-raising/self-rising flour, vegetable suet, and cold water!

    You can either keep the dumplings simple or add in some flavours. My favourite is pesto as it gives a nice flavour and colour too. The self-raising flour will make nice fluffy vegan dumplings.

    If you don't have self-raising flour, mix 1 teaspoon of baking powder with every 100g of plain flour. Give it a good stir to make sure the baking powder is evenly distributed. The baking powder is the raising agent and will ensure the dumplings are light and airy.

    ingredients for vegan dumplings with pesto

    Mix the dumpling ingredients with a little cold water (a few tablespoons) until you can mold the mixture into small balls about the size of ping-pong balls.

    If you want to add any flavours (see below) add this before you form the dough into balls.

    Flavours to add to Vegan Dumplings

    The following can be added to your vegan dumpling mixture to bring extra flavour to your dish.

    • Vegan Cheddar Cheese. Grate the cheese and add around 100g for every 125g of flour. Some cheeses are stronger than others so you may wish to add a little less if you have a stronger cheese.
    • Chives Freshly chopped chives can be added and go particularly well with cheese.
    • Thyme As well as adding thyme to the stew, you can add a couple of teaspoons of fresh leaves to the dumpling mixture before bringing the dough together. Dried thyme won't work as well as there is not enough moisture in the dumplings to hydrate the dried leaves.
    • Pesto Green basil or red sun-dried tomato pesto can also be added to spice the dumplings up a little. Add four teaspoons of the pesto to the dumpling mixture before bringing the dough together.

    What to serve with Stew

    Stew is a delicious one-pot dish, especially if you add dumplings so you don't necessarily need to serve it with anything extra. Sometimes, people like to add something green on the side, just to brighten up the plate. I recommend peas but anything green such as cabbage or broccoli will do. This vegetable stew already contains potatoes. If your stew doesn't have potato in it, you might like to serve some mash on the side. Mash is also useful for mopping up gravy or sauce. Crusty bread is also a great accompaniment.

    Sustainability

    A stew is perfect for using vegetables in season. Try to buy your vegetables loose, free from plastic packaging, and from local sources which will help minimise the carbon footprint as well as support your local economy. Buying loose also means you can buy exactly what you need which will avoid food waste. As with many things now, you may also be able to buy organic vegetables. Organic produce has a lower environmental impact. For more information, check out my Eating Sustainably page.

    vegan stew and dumplings in casserole dish

    Storage

    You can keep this stew in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. You can also freeze it although root vegetables can go a bit mushy when they've been frozen.

    Top Tip for Leftover Vegan Stew

    As an alternative to freezing any leftover stew, you can easily turn any leftover stew into soup. Just add some vegetable stock and blitz the vegetables and you will have a lovely thick vegetable soup. Adding milk will make it a little creamier. If you've got any other vegetables left over, this is a great opportunity to use them up. Chop them into small pieces and add in. Once they are soft enough, you can mash them up or put the soup through a food processor.

    FAQ

    What vegetables go well in a stew?

    Root vegetables go well in stews such as carrots, parsnips, potato, sweet potato, squashes, pumpkin. You can also add celery, mushrooms, peas.

    What else can I add to stew?

    If you want to make your stew go further, you can also add beans or pulses or grains such as pearl barley or lentils.

    How can I thicken up my stew?

    If your tomato sauce is not thick enough, add a tablespoon of plain flour. To keep it gluten free, use cornflour or cornstarch. Mix a tablespoon of cornflour into a paste with a little cold water and stir in. Add a little at a time so you can judge how much you need.

    📖 Recipe

    vegan stew topped with vegan dumplings in casserole dish

    Easy Vegan Stew with Dumplings

    REALMEALDEAL
    A delicious tomato-based vegetable stew with light fluffy vegan dumplings
    4.86 from 14 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, British
    Servings (Adjustable) 4
    Calories 306 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 1 onion organic, diced
    • 1 leek organic, diced about 500g
    • 1 carrot organic, diced about 2cm cubes
    • 1 parsnip organic, diced about 2cm cubes
    • 500 g sweet potato organic, diced about 2cm cubes
    • 400 g chopped tomatoes organic, tinned
    • 500 g passata organic
    • 300 ml vegetable stock organic
    • 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce organic
    • 2 tablespoon fresh thyme organic, leaves only
    • 1 dash salt
    • 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade

    Vegan Dumplings

    • 125 g self raising flour organic
    • 60 g vegetable suet
    • 3-4 tablespoon cold water

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large casserole pan and fry the onion and leek for around 5 minutes until soft
      2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 onion, 1 leek
    • Add the carrots, parsnips and sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes until soft
      1 carrot, 1 parsnip, 500 g sweet potato
    • Add the tinned tomatoes, passata, vegetable stock, worcestshire sauce, thyme and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Make sure the liquid covers the vegetables. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes
      400 g chopped tomatoes, 500 g passata, 300 ml vegetable stock, 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper

    Vegan Dumplings

    • Mix the dumpling ingredients together with a little cold water until you can mould the mixture into small balls about the size of ping pong balls. If you want to add in extra flavours, add these to the mixture before you form the dough together into balls
      125 g self raising flour, 60 g vegetable suet, 3-4 tablespoon cold water
    • Carefully place on top of the stew for the last 20 minutes of cooking and leave the stew uncovered.
    • When the dumpling are cooked and slightly browned, serve everything together

    Notes

    Nutritional Values are a guide based on the vegetables and quantities used in the recipe and are per portion. Please note the nutritional calculation does not include dumplings.

    Vegan Dumplings

    For a simple dumpling, all you need is self raising / self rising flour, vegetable suet and cold water. You can either keep the dumplings simple or add in some flavours.  If you don't have self raising flour, mix 1 teaspoon of baking powder with every 100g of plain flour. Give it a good stir to make sure the baking powder is evenly distributed. The baking powder is the raising agent and will ensure the dumplings are light and airy.

    Additional Flavours for Dumplings

    The following can be added to your dumpling mixture to bring extra flavour to your dish.
    • Vegan Cheddar Cheese. Grate the cheese and add around 100g for every 125g of flour. Some cheeses are stronger than others so you may wish to add a little less if you have a stronger cheese.
    • Chives Freshly chopped chives can be added and go particularly well with cheese.
    • Thyme As well as adding thyme to the stew, you can add a couple of teaspoons of fresh leaves to the dumpling mixture before bringing the dough together. Dried thyme won't work as well as there is not enough moisture in the dumplings to hydrate the dried leaves.
    • Pesto Green basil or red sun dried tomato pesto can also be added to spice the dumplings up a little. Add four teaspoons of the pesto to the dumpling mixture before bringing the dough together.

    Serving Suggestion

    A stew is a great one pot dish, especially if you add dumplings so  you don't need to serve anything extra. Sometimes, people like to add something green on the side. I recommend peas but anything green such as cabbage or broccoli will do. This vegetable stew already contains potato. If your stew doesn't have potato in it, you might like to serve some mash on the side. Mash is also great for mopping up the gravy or sauce.

    Storage

    You can keep this stew in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. You can also freeze it although root vegetables can go a bit mushy when they've been frozen.

    Leftover Vegan Stew 

    As an alternative to freezing any leftover stew, you can turn your leftover stew into a soup. Just add some vegetable stock and blitz the vegetables and you will have a lovely thick vegetable soup. Adding milk will make it a little creamier. If you've got any other vegetables leftover, this is a great opportunity to use them up. Chop them into small pieces and add in. Once they are soft enough, you can mash them up or put the soup through a food processor.
     
     

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 660mgPotassium: 1522mgFiber: 11gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 21740IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 153mgIron: 6mg

    The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.

    Average Carbon Emissions

    Author REALMEALDEAL
    Tried this recipe?Mention @realmealdealuk or tag #realmealdeal!

    More Recipes for Eating Sustainably

    • Carrot and Courgette Soup
    • Cod Mornay
    • Creamy Vegetable Pasta
    • Fish Korma

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating. Thanks for leaving a comment. Your email address will not be shown




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Nikki

      November 03, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      Looks so hearty, comforting and delicious! Love the dumplings on top too!

      Reply
    2. Beth

      November 03, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      This looks amazing! Those dumplings are so huge, they look like biscuits!

      Reply
    3. Tavo

      November 03, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      The stew was so yummy and comforting! I especially loved the dumplings!

      Reply
    4. Suja md

      November 03, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      This was a such a delicious and easy recipe! I went perfect with my dinner meal. So good!

      Reply
    5. Beth

      November 03, 2022 at 3:26 pm

      Such a delicious and hearty vegan stew. Perfect winter comfort food.

      Reply
    6. Catherine Horrigan

      April 13, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      This is super tasty, I have made this a few times and love it every time. The cheese in the dumplings is perfect.

      Reply
    7. Ann Bower

      December 02, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      The Winter Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings was really delicious: the sauce was surprisingly rich, going very well with the slightly cheesy flavour of the dumplings. I made it on the spur of the moment when I happened to see the recipe and my husband an I both enjoyed it very much. Nice to have a recipe where I could vary the ingredients to fit what I happen to have in, if necessary.

      Reply
      • REALMEALDEAL

        December 03, 2020 at 9:44 am

        So pleased you enjoyed it. It's always good to be able to make use of what you already have in rather than let it go to waste.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Claire I want to inspire you to Eat and Live Sustainably. I love to cook and I've loads of easy recipes to help you on your way.

    More about me →

    Budget Recipes

    • Hungarian Vegetarian Bean Goulash
    • Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Pasta
    • Quick Tomato and Basil Risotto with Poached Egg
    • Creamy Sausage and Vegetable Pasta Bake
    • Healthy Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake
    • Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chilli
    • Vegan Red Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese
    • Simple Homemade Pizza No Yeast

    New Recipes

    • Carrot and Courgette Soup
    • Cod Mornay
    • Passata Pasta Sauce with Mediterranean Veg
    • Sun-Dried Tomato Red Pesto Chicken
    • Fish Korma
    • Quorn Lasagne Recipe
    • Welsh Rarebit with Egg & No Beer
    • Easy Quorn Vegetarian Chilli

    Green Fair

    • Green Eco Sustainability Fair -A Guide
    • How to organise a Green Eco Sustainability Fair

    Footer

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    certified carbon literate official logo certification

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 therealmealdeal.com

    therealmealdeal.com is a subsidiary of martincarterassociates

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.Read More
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT