recipe 
yields
Serves 4-6
4 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
2 12-ounce packages frozen vegetable blend (I like the blend with broccoli and cauliflower)
1 bay leaf
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
⅔ cup buttermilk
½ bunch of fresh parsley leaves, for serving (optional)
For the soup
For the dumplings
steps
Make the Soup
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are coated in fat and slightly golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are coated. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the vegetable stock, frozen vegetables, and bay leaf and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes. While the base is simmering, you can work on the dumplings.
Make the Dumplings
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, cut the shortening into the flour mixture. Slowly add the buttermilk, gently mixing to incorporate. Now add scoops of dumpling dough over the top of the stew, about 1 tablespoon each. Cover and simmer until the dumplings double in size, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and garnish with parsley, if using.
Date Published: 09.24.25
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Recipe adapted from
Make Do With What You Have by Kardea Brown and reprinted with permission from HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright 2025.
