Lentils With Dumplings (Printable)
Tender lentils in a rich vegetable stew, topped with light, fluffy dumplings for a hearty vegetarian meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Lentil Stew
01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
07 - 4 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1 tsp dried thyme
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, optional
→ Dumplings
14 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
15 - 1½ tsp baking powder
16 - ½ tsp salt
17 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
18 - ½ cup milk
# How To Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
02 - Stir in the rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, bay leaf, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
03 - While the stew simmers, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold diced butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
04 - Increase the heat under the pot to bring the stew to a lively simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough, about 1 tablespoon each, onto the surface of the simmering stew to yield 8 to 10 dumplings. Cover the pot tightly and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
05 - Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning as needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving, if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the stew, so you get a full meal from a single pot with zero extra dishes piling up in your sink.
- Smoked paprika transforms humble pantry lentils into something that tastes like it simmered all day, but the whole thing comes together in just over an hour.
02 -
- Lifting the lid during dumpling steaming is the single most common way to ruin this dish, so set a timer and walk away if you have to.
- The stew will thicken considerably as it sits, so leftovers are even richer and more spoon coating the next day.
03 -
- Rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingers rather than a fork gives you better control over the texture and lets you feel exactly when it is ready.
- A splash of light red wine like Pinot Noir added with the broth deepens the flavor in a way that makes guests ask what your secret is.