Winter vegetable and pearl barley stew with herby dumplings – a hearty, healthy and filling vegan stew topped with fluffy, herby dumplings. The perfect meal to warm you on chilly days.
One minute it felt like a heatwave, the next the air has turned crisp and it’s almost Christmas. With the temperature dropping, I’ve been cooking lots of comforting, warming dishes. Soups and stews have been regulars on our dinner list.
This vegetable and pearl barley stew with herby dumplings is filling, wholesome and ideal after a bracing winter walk. It’s delicious with a chilled glass of Appletiser — a refreshing contrast to the rich stew.
This recipe is part of a monthly series paired with Appletiser. Like the drink, the dish is free from added sugar and includes at least one portion of your five-a-day. It uses seasonal root vegetables — leeks, parsnips, carrots, swede and potatoes — which give the stew a terrific depth of flavour.
Pearl barley makes the stew satisfyingly filling, while the herby dumplings make it a complete one-pot meal — no sides required, apart from the drink of your choice. The stew is straightforward to prepare, though it needs time to simmer until the barley and vegetables are tender, so start in good time.
How To Make Vegetable and Pearl Barley Stew With Herby Dumplings:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
Begin by gently frying onion, leek and celery in a mixture of olive oil and dairy-free margarine. This combination adds flavour, but you can use all olive oil if you prefer. Add crushed garlic and fry briefly, then stir in plain flour to help thicken and create a creamy texture.
Pour in a little dry white wine if using, adding it gradually so the sauce stays smooth. Once incorporated, slowly stir in vegetable stock; a good-quality stock gives the stew better depth.
Add the pearl barley with thyme, bay leaves and rosemary, bring to the boil and let it bubble for about 10 minutes. Then add the chopped carrots, parsnips, potato and swede. Cover and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks. The stew should be fairly thick, so only add extra stock if needed.
While the stew simmers, make the dumplings. Combine self-raising flour, salt and dried herbs. Rub cold dairy-free margarine into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs, then add cold water gradually to form a soft dough.
Shape the dough into golf-ball-sized dumplings and place them across the surface of the cooked stew. Transfer the uncovered pan to a preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the dumplings are golden and cooked through.
Serve hot with a glass of Appletiser for a crisp, fruity contrast. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to five days — note the stew will thicken as it cools.
More Soup Recipes:
Autumn minestrone soup
Spiced red lentil and root vegetable soup
Carrot and coriander soup
Spiced yellow split pea and sweetcorn soup
Spiced roast pumpkin soup
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Vegetable And Pearl Barley Stew With Herby Dumplings (Vegan)
Ingredients
Stew:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dairy free margarine or more olive oil
- 1 large brown onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large leek thinly sliced
- 2 sticks celery thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 Tbsp plain flour
- 120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine optional
- 1 ½ litres (6 cups) vegetable stock
- 175 g (6oz) pearl barley
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dried
- 3 large carrots about 350g, cut into large chunks
- 3 parsnips about 250g, cut into large chunks
- 1 large potato about 350g, cut into large chunks
- ½ a small swede about 300g, cut into chunks
- plenty of salt and pepper
Dumplings:
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) self-raising flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
- 80 g (⅓ cup) dairy free margarine cold
- about 150ml cold water (½ cup + 2 Tbsp)
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil and dairy-free margarine in a large, oven-proof casserole or saucepan. Add the onion, leek and celery and fry gently for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
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Add the crushed garlic and fry for thirty seconds, then stir in the flour.
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Stir in the dry white wine a little at a time if using; once incorporated, gradually add the stock, stirring to avoid lumps.
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Add the pearl barley with thyme, bay leaves and rosemary. Bring to the boil and allow to bubble rapidly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Reduce to a gentle simmer, then add the carrots, parsnips, potato and swede.
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Cover and simmer for 30–40 minutes until the barley and vegetables are tender. Stir regularly to prevent sticking. Add a splash more stock if required, remembering the stew should be fairly thick.
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While the stew cooks, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and prepare the dumplings.
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Mix the self-raising flour, salt and dried herbs. Rub in cold margarine until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add cold water gradually to form a dough ball.
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When the stew is ready, remove from the heat. Take out the thyme and rosemary sprigs and bay leaves if you used fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Roll the dough into golf-ball-sized dumplings and place them across the top of the stew. Bake the uncovered pan in the oven for 20–25 minutes until the dumplings are golden.
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The stew is best served fresh. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days; note the stew will thicken as it cools.