Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings
Hearty and homely, this meat-free stew is perfect when you’re craving a big bowl of warming comfort food. We’ve slow cooked all our veggies in a rich, creamy sauce and topped the whole thing with unmissable fluffy, cheesy dumplings.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories363
- Carbs46g
- Protein17g
- Fat10g
- Saturates4g
- Sugars13g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
You can never go wrong with a home-cooked stew, and this one makes good use of your slow cooker. When you think about slow cooking, you probably associate it with meat-based dishes, but this Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings proves that you don’t need meat to create a warming, filling bowl of food. There’s nothing to say you can’t add in some cooked meat if you prefer (cooked bacon or ham would work well), just add it in Step 5 and don’t forget to adjust the calories.
We’ve loaded this recipe up with all our favourite veggies – onions, leeks, butternut squash, carrots and mushrooms, as well as throwing in some cannellini beans to pack in extra protein. The herby, savoury sauce is thickened with reduced-fat cream cheese right before serving, turning it into a silky, rich gravy; you’ll want to mop up every last drop!
Making your own dumplings is so much easier than you might think, and you can cook them in your slow cooker along with the stew. If you want to give them a golden, crunchy topping, we’d recommend popping them under the grill right before you dish up.
Don’t have a slow cooker? No problem – you can find the oven method for this recipe right here.
What diets is this Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings suitable for?
You can make this Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings recipe suitable for vegetarians as long as you switch the Parmesan cheese for a vegetarian hard cheese.
As always, take extra care when cooking for people with allergies and be sure to use different utensils, cookware and preparation areas.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings?
Nope! You don’t need any special ingredients to make this recipe. You will need a slow cooker with at least a 3.5 litre capacity to cook this dish. We wouldn’t recommend attempting the recipe in a slow cooker any smaller than this.
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This 3.5 litre slow cooker is perfect for making this recipe, along with so many other soups, stews and casseroles.
You’ll also need a large frying pan. This one from Amazon is nice and durable and will come in handy time and time again.
How many calories are in this Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings?
There are 363 calories per portion in this Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category.
To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment.
This Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, leek and garlic and cook for 6-8 minutes until softening and golden, then transfer to the slow cooker.
Step 2
Add the butternut squash, carrots, mushrooms and cannellini beans to the slow cooker. Add the stock, mustard powder, bay leaves and thyme, and stir to combine. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2½- 3 hours, until the butternut squash and carrots are tender. Some butternut squash chunks will break up to thicken the stew.
Step 3
While the stew is cooking, make the dumplings. Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Add the egg yolks and mix slightly with a fork. Using your fingertips, rub in the egg yolks until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Step 4
Add the Parmesan, parsley, mustard powder, garlic granules and season with salt and black pepper. Stir well. Add 3-4 tbsp of cold water, a little at a time, and stir with a round bladed knife, until it comes together to form a dough. You will need a firm dough that’s not too wet, so the amount of water you will need will depend on the size of the egg yolks. Shape into four equally sized dumplings and set aside in the fridge for later.
Step 5
When the stew has been cooking for 2½- 3 hours, and the vegetables are tender, remove the bay leaves and discard. Stir in the spinach leaves for a minute or two until just wilted.
Step 6
Put the dumplings on top of the stew and replace the lid. Continue to cook on high for a further 40 minutes, or until the dumplings have puffed up and are cooked through.
Step 7
Remove the dumplings from the stew and set aside on a plate. Add the cream cheese to the stew and stir in until evenly blended. Taste and season well with salt and black pepper if needed.
Step 8
Put the cooked dumplings back on top of the stew, sprinkle with a little chopped curly parsley (optional) and serve at once. If you would like the dumplings to be golden, transfer the stew and dumplings to an ovenproof dish and place under a preheated grill for a few minutes. Remove from under the grill and sprinkle with chopped curly parsley if using.
What could I serve with this Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings?
We like to serve this dish with a simple side of steamed vegetables. 80g of steamed green veggies will add an additional 38 calories, taking the total to 401 per serving. You could also serve this with any of the following side dishes:
How do you know when Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings is cooked?
You should cook this Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings until the vegetables are tender. This will take around 2.5-3 hours. You should then add the dumplings and cook them for 40 minutes until they have puffed up and are cooked all the way through. You can then transfer them to an ovenproof dish and place them under the grill if you want them to be more golden in appearance.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings in the fridge?
Once you’ve served this recipe, you’ll ideally need to eat it within 4 hours.
You can store any leftover Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings in the fridge for up to 2 days. Make sure that you allow it to cool completely before putting leftovers in a container with a lid and chilling in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings?
YES you can freeze this recipe! If you do, please remember to do the following:
- Allow it to cool and then freeze as soon as it is cold enough.
- Place in a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
- Add a label with the recipe name and the date you added it to the freezer.
How do I reheat Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings?
From chilled: Place in a microwavable container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat from chilled.
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Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings
Hearty and homely, this meat-free stew is perfect when you’re craving a big bowl of warming comfort food. We’ve slow cooked all our veggies in a rich, creamy sauce and topped the whole thing with unmissable fluffy, cheesy dumplings.
-
Prep Time
25 MINS
-
Cook Time
3 HR 40
- KCals 363
- Carbs 46G
Instructions
- Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion, leek and garlic and cook for 6-8 minutes until softening and golden, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the butternut squash, carrots, mushrooms and cannellini beans to the slow cooker. Add the stock, mustard powder, bay leaves and thyme, and stir to combine. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2½- 3 hours, until the butternut squash and carrots are tender. Some butternut squash chunks will break up to thicken the stew.
- While the stew is cooking, make the dumplings. Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Add the egg yolks and mix slightly with a fork. Using your fingertips, rub in the egg yolks until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the Parmesan, parsley, mustard powder, garlic granules and season with salt and black pepper. Stir well. Add 3-4 tbsp of cold water, a little at a time, and stir with a round bladed knife, until it comes together to form a dough. You will need a firm dough that's not too wet, so the amount of water you will need will depend on the size of the egg yolks. Shape into four equally sized dumplings and set aside in the fridge for later.
- When the stew has been cooking for 2½- 3 hours, and the vegetables are tender, remove the bay leaves and discard. Stir in the spinach leaves for a minute or two until just wilted.
- Put the dumplings on top of the stew and replace the lid. Continue to cook on high for a further 40 minutes, or until the dumplings have puffed up and are cooked through.
- Remove the dumplings from the stew and set aside on a plate. Add the cream cheese to the stew and stir in until evenly blended. Taste and season well with salt and black pepper if needed.
- Put the cooked dumplings back on top of the stew, sprinkle with a little chopped curly parsley (optional) and serve at once. If you would like the dumplings to be golden, transfer the stew and dumplings to an ovenproof dish and place under a preheated grill for a few minutes. Remove from under the grill and sprinkle with chopped curly parsley if using.
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Recipe notes
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12 comments
See what others have to say
PatSaturday 28th October 2023
Very easy and tasty. I think I’d leave the mushrooms out next time, and replace with another veg. I found them a bit ‘squidgy’ in texture for my taste, but that’s only a personal thing. Overall, a very good recipe, very filling with the dumpling, and I’ll definitely make it again.
SharonFriday 17th November 2023
Hi Pat, thanks for trying our Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings; we’re so pleased you enjoyed it.
Laura SmithMonday 25th September 2023
Could this be made in a pressure cooker?
SharonTuesday 24th October 2023
Hi Laura, we haven’t tested this recipe in a pressure cooker so can’t give precise cooking times or instructions. But if you would like to try, pressure cook the vegetable stew without the dumplings. Release the pressure, then add the dumplings, cover and cook without pressure so they simmer and steam on top of the stew. Then stir in the cream cheese. Hope this helps!
EmmaMonday 6th February 2023
Could you use butter beans instead of the cannellini beans?
SharonTuesday 7th February 2023
Hi Emma, yes, you could use tinned butter beans instead of cannellini beans if you prefer. The stew will be just as tasty!
SueMonday 6th February 2023
Will the dumplings work with gluten free flour?
SharonWednesday 12th July 2023
Hi Sue, we haven’t tested the dumplings with gluten free flour but they will probably be fine. Gluten free flour absorbs more liquid than regular flour so try adding a bit more liquid than the recipe states, adding a little at a time until you’ve made a soft dough rather than a firm one. You could also try adding a little more baking powder (remember to use a gluten free one) than the recipe states as this should help make the dumplings lighter. Hope this helps and we’d love to hear how you get on!
HannahSunday 15th January 2023
Can the dumplings be made with Cheddar instead of Parmesan cheese?
SharonTuesday 24th January 2023
Hi Hannah, we haven’t tested the dumplings with Cheddar cheese so can’t guarantee the result but it should would work well. We would recommend using a mature Cheddar with plenty of flavour. Hope this helps!
ClaireThursday 5th January 2023
What is the calorie part of the dumplings. I’m interested in making the stew, but don’t like dumplings
HollyMonday 9th January 2023
Hi Claire, if you would like to make any changes to the recipe we have a handy guide HERE which talks through how to work out your own calorie information. Hope that helps!
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