Shallow bowls hold glossy russet stew crowned with golden dumplings, apple ribbons, green parsley, scallions, and scattered pepitas.

Slow-Cooker Portobello & Poblano Cider Stew with Cheddar-Cornmeal Dumplings

Name: Slow-Cooker Portobello & Poblano Cider Stew with Cheddar-Cornmeal Dumplings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 280 min
Total time: 310 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds large portobello mushroom caps stems trimmed, gills scraped, and cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges; 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans rinsed and drained; 2 medium poblano peppers seeded and sliced into 1/2-inch strips; 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 1/4 cups apple cider; 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon maple syrup; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water; 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 cup sharp cheddar finely shredded; 2 scallions thinly sliced; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted; 1 crisp apple cored and cut into matchsticks; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, divided apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley finely chopped; 2 tablespoons pepitas toasted; 1 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil; 1 teaspoon, divided, plus more to taste kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Earthy mushrooms, smoky peppers, cider broth, and tender cheddar dumplings.

Category Main Course

Prep 30 minutes

Cook 280 minutes

Style American

Technique Dry-toasting

Diet Friendly Vegetarian

Daily recipe · September 06, 2026

A little about this dish

This autumn-leaning American slow-cooker stew pairs deeply browned portobellos with smoky poblanos, white beans, and apple cider. Cheddar-cornmeal dumplings steam on top, while crisp apple ribbons and toasted pepitas add bright color, acidity, and crunch.

Ingredients (for 4)

Large portobello mushroom caps — 1 1/4 pounds — stems trimmed, gills scraped, and cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges
Cannellini beans — 1 (15-ounce) can — rinsed and drained
Medium poblano peppers — 2 — seeded and sliced into 1/2-inch strips
Medium yellow onion — 1 — thinly sliced
Garlic cloves — 3 — minced
Tomato paste — 2 tablespoons
Apple cider — 1 1/4 cups
Low-sodium vegetable broth — 2 cups
Vegetarian worcestershire sauce — 1 tablespoon
Maple syrup — 1 teaspoon
Smoked paprika — 1 teaspoon
Ground coriander — 1/2 teaspoon
Dried thyme — 1 teaspoon
Bay leaf — 1
Cornstarch — 2 teaspoons — mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Fine yellow cornmeal — 1/2 cup
All-purpose flour — 1/2 cup
Baking powder — 1 1/2 teaspoons
Sharp cheddar — 1/2 cup — finely shredded
Scallions — 2 — thinly sliced
Buttermilk — 1/2 cup
Unsalted butter — 2 tablespoons — melted
Crisp apple — 1 — cored and cut into matchsticks
Apple cider vinegar — 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, divided
Flat-leaf parsley — 2 tablespoons — finely chopped
Pepitas — 2 tablespoons — toasted
Neutral oil — 1 1/2 tablespoons
Kosher salt — 1 teaspoon, divided, plus more to taste
Black pepper — 1/2 teaspoon — freshly ground

Preparation

Step 1 — 🔥🌰

Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Dry-toast the pepitas for 2 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant. Transfer them to a small bowl.
Step 2 — 🍄🍳

Pat the portobello wedges dry. Heat the neutral oil in the skillet over medium-high heat and sear the mushrooms in two batches for 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
Step 3 — 🧅🌶️🍎

Add the onion and poblanos to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the apple cider, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer for 1 minute.
Step 4 — 🥣🌿✨

Pour the skillet mixture into the slow cooker. Add the vegetable broth, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, coriander, thyme, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Stir gently.
Step 5 — ⏲️🍲

Cover and cook on LOW for 3 1/2–4 hours or HIGH for 2–2 1/2 hours, until the portobellos are tender.
Step 6 — 🫘🥄

Stir in the cannellini beans, cornstarch slurry, and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Set the slow cooker to HIGH, cover, and cook for 10 minutes while preparing the dumplings.
Step 7 — 🌽🧀🧈

Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cheddar, scallions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter just until a soft, shaggy dough forms; do not overmix.
Step 8 — 🥟♨️

Drop eight rounded spoonfuls of dough over the stew, leaving small gaps. Cover immediately and cook on HIGH for 35–40 minutes without lifting the lid, until puffed and cooked through.
Step 9 — 🍏🥗

Toss the apple matchsticks with the remaining 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and a small pinch of the remaining salt. Remove the bay leaf from the stew.
Step 10 — 🍲🌿🥜

Ladle the stew into shallow bowls and place two dumplings in each. Top with the quick-pickled apple, parsley, toasted pepitas, and sliced scallion greens.

A final fox tip

Estimated total calories are 2,100, or about 525 per serving. Browning the portobellos first prevents a watery stew and adds savory depth. For a vegan version, use plant-based butter, dairy-free cheddar, unsweetened plant buttermilk, and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Keep the slow-cooker lid closed while the dumplings steam so they stay light and fluffy.