Heat the oil in a large casserole pot, add the onions and cook, stirring, on a medium heat for eight minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the mushrooms and cook for five minutes until lightly browned. Stir in the tablespoon of flour, cook for a minute or so, then add all the root veg, the pearl barley, thyme, soy, tomato puree and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour in the stock and stout, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and stir gently, turn up the heat a bit and cook for 10 minutes more, until the sauce is thickened.
Meanwhile, mix all the dumpling ingredients with a quarter-teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then mix in 100ml water just until it all starts to come together. Roll the dough into eight balls.
Stir the spinach into the stew and nestle the dumplings on the surface, leaving a little space in between them. Replace the lid and cook for 20 minutes, or until the dumplings are puffed up and firm.
Ingredients
(serves 4-6)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
2 carrots, 2 parsnips, 1⁄2 swede (about 400g), 1⁄2 celeriac (about 500g) – all peeled & chunked
150g pearl barley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato puree
Salt and black pepper 750ml vegan stock
500ml vegan stout
100g spinach
For the dumplings:
150g plain flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
75g vegetable suet
1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
