Vegetable Soup With Cornmeal Dumplings

An easy and healthy vegetarian soup/main dish from the magazine, "Better Homes and Gardens". This is to be made in a crock-pot (slow cooker). I haven't tried it yet, but I think the corn dumblings would add a nice extra "something".

• Ready In: 5 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3  cups  peeled  butternut squash or 3  cups acorn squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2  cups  sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 (14 1/2ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained (such as great northern beans, cannellini, lima or navy beans)
• 1  cup water
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  teaspoon  dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup cornmeal
• 2  tablespoons  grated parmesan cheese
• 1  tablespoon  snipped fresh parsley
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  egg
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 2  tablespoons  cooking oil
• 1 (9 ounce) package  frozen Italian cut green beans or 1 (9 ounce) package  frozen cut green beans
•  paprika

Directions

1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine squash, mushrooms, undrained tomatoes, Great Northern beans, the water, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3. For dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, parsley, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and oil. Add to the flour mixture; stir with a fork just until combined.
4. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir frozen green beans into stew. Drop the dumpling dough into six mounds on top of the stew. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook for 50 minutes more. (Do not lift lid while dumplings are cooking.).