dumpling stew

Add 3 cups water and the cauliflower florets to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and let simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is very tender. This will ensure it easily blends smooth once we add it to the blender with the other cream sauce ingredients.

While you wait, chop the veggies for the stew into large chunks, and dice the onion.

Heat a large, heavy-bottom stew pot over medium-high. Then add the olive oil, and let it warm for 30 seconds. Add the onion. You should hear a nice sizzle when it hits the oil. Sautee 3-4 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt (around 1/8 tsp) to help draw the water out of the onions and concentrate the flavor. Sautee another 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent and slightly brown. Now add the rosemary and thyme, and sautee another 2 minutes.

To the pot, add sweet potatoes, carrots, red lentils, and 3 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil. Then cover and let simmer until lentils are soft and vegetables are tender (around 45 minutes).

While the stew cooks, make the cream sauce. Strain the water off the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower to the blender along with the cashews, nutritional yeast, and a few cracks of pepper. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.

When the lentils, sweet potato, and carrots are all very tender, stir in the broccoli, corn or peas, and cream sauce. Let simmer 5 minutes while you make the dumpling batter.

To make the dumplings, get out a small mixing bowl, and add all the dry ingredients. Mix. Then add the almond milk and the vinegar. Mix just enough to combine.

Stir the spinach into the stew, adjust spices and salt to your preference, and then drop the dumpling batter onto the stew (you should get four dumplings). Cover the stew to let the dumplings steam. If you used all purpose flour, give them 5-6 minutes to cook. If you used whole wheat spelt, give them 10-12 minutes.