Serious Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew with Herbed Dumplings

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-07 · Updated 2026-04-07

A slow-simmered stew with tender beef and root vegetables, topped with pillowy herb dumplings for a deeply comforting meal. This american-inspired soups ready in about 145 minutes pairs cut into 1-inch cubes beef chuck, medium, finely chopped onion, stalks, finely chopped celery for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 480 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs, cut into 1-inch cubes beef chuck
• 3 medium, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins carrots
• 2 medium, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes potatoes
• 1 medium, finely chopped onion
• 2 stalks, finely chopped celery
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp, chopped fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 cup milk dumpling ingredients

Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat beef chuck cubes dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then brown the beef in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply seared, transferring to a plate as you go.
2. Step 2: Add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped celery stalks to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened, then stir in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour to form a paste, cooking for 1 minute until golden.
3. Step 3: Pour in 4 cups beef broth and 1 can diced tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the pot, then return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.
4. Step 4: Add 3 medium peeled carrot coins, 2 medium peeled potato cubes, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, then bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, and cover, simmering for 1 hour 30 minutes until beef is fork-tender.
5. Step 5: For dumplings: Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then stir in 3/4 cup milk until just combined (do not overmix).
6. Step 6: Drop 1/4-cup portions of the dumpling batter onto the simmering stew, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid to steam the dumplings until they are puffed and cooked through.