By: EatingWell User
I really liked this recipe, though I did make a few substitutions (yeah, I'm gonna be one of those people haha). First, I used vegetable broth instead of water (I never use water in anything if I can add more flavor with broth). I also added more spices than the recipe called for. I just kept adding until it tasted good to me. Finally, at the last minute as I was about to put the lid on and let the stew cook, I added a little chopped turkey bacon for extra smokiness. All of these additions were really simple, and really, I find cooking is more about finding the flavors *you* like than following a recipe to the letter, but I digress.
The only complaint I have is I feel the dumplings had a little too much lime flavor, and little else. I followed the instructions for the dumplings exactly, so next time I make this I might half the amount of lime and increase the amount of salt in the dumplings.
Overall, this recipe turned out a delicious, hearty stew that you can make even in the summer and not worry about heating up the kitchen by turning on the stove. It's very filling, too - my boyfriend, who eats like a horse lol, was stuffed after one bowl. I will definitely make this again.