Veggie Stew with Dumplings
[Vegan]

For the Filling:

1. Tie the bay leaves, rosemary, and thymes prigs together tightly with cooking twine and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, frequently stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the red wine, stir well,  and cook until the wine is reduced by about half.
5. Add the herb bundle, carrots, potatoes, peas, parsnips, 4 cups of vegetable stock, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the vegetables are fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock if the stew gets too thick.
6. Remove the herb bundle and discard.
7. Season stew with salt and pepper.
8. Stir in the cold vegan butter.

For the Biscuit Topping:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Lightly mix the cold vegan butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingers until the pieces are the size of peas. Add the almond milk and stir with a fork in a light tossing motion until just combined (do not overmix the dough).
2. On a lightly floured work surface, shape the dough into a flat disc about 3/4 inch thick. Next, cut out circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. You should have at least 6 biscuits, rerolling scraps if necessary.
3. Arrange the biscuits evenly on top of the filling. Brush the top of each biscuit with the melted vegan butter. Bake in the oven at 350°F until filling is bubbling and the biscuits are lightly brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
4. Spoon into bowls and serve.