Season and sear the roast

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Season the roast all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
• Place the chuck roast in the pot and cook undisturbed until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Flip and cook another 4 minutes, then remove the roast and set aside.

Soften the vegetables

• Add the butter to the drippings and let it melt.
• Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened.

Make the broth

• Add the flour and cook for about 1 minute longer.
• Whisk in the water, bouillon paste and cream of mushroom soup.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Slow-cook the roast

• Return the roast and any collected drippings to the pot and bring back to a simmer.
• Cover, reduce the heat and cook until the roast is very tender, about 3 hours.

Shred the beef

• Remove the roast from the pot, shred the beef and discard any pieces of fat.
• Return the meat to the pot and add more water if needed so there is plenty of broth.

Cook the dumplings

• Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the pot to a boil.
• Drop the dumplings into the broth and maintain a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dumplings are done, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Adjust the liquid with more water or broth and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Serve

• Ladle into bowls and top with fresh chopped parsley and cracked pepper.