
Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew – Eat Healthy For Less
Time: 6 hrs 20mins
Serves 6
£1.31 per serving
Ingredients
- 200g carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 leeks, cut into thick slices
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 2 courgettes, cut into large chunks
- 800g tinned cannellini beans/ chickpeas, drained
- 1 bay leaf
- Bunch of kale
- 4 sprigs of rosemary
- 200ml creme fraiche
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 200g broad beans
For the dumplings
- 100g self-raising flour
- 50g cold butter
- 100g mature cheddar
Method
Set the slow cooker to low. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and fry the carrots for 5 mins until just golden, then tip into the slow cooker.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the leeks with a pinch of salt for 5 mins until soft. Add the garlic and stir in the flour. Gradually add the stock, stirring, until the flour has dissolved and there are no lumps. Bring to the boil, then tip into the slow cooker. Add the courgettes, beans and herbs, topping up with water to cover the veg, if needed. Cover and cook for 4 hrs.
To make the dumplings, tip the flour into a bowl and stir in the butter until evenly distributed. Add the cheese, cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix in 3-4 tbsp cold water with your hands to make a soft, slightly sticky dough (add a little more water if needed). Divide into six and roll into balls.
Add the crème fraîche, mustard, broad beans and kale to the slow cooker and turn it to high. Arrange the dumplings over the stew, cover and cook for 1-2 hrs more until firm and doubled in size. Serve.
This will keep for up to three days in the fridge or in the freezer for up to three months.