Lentils With Dumplings (Printable Version)
Savory lentil stew with aromatic vegetables, topped with fluffy buttery dumplings for a cozy, satisfying meal.
# What You 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 - 1 ½ tsp baking powder
16 - ½ tsp salt
17 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
18 - ½ cup milk
# Directions:
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, approximately 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 heat, cover, and simmer for 25–30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. 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; be careful not to overmix.
04 - Increase the heat under the lentil stew to bring it to a lively simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough (about 1 tbsp each) onto the surface of the simmering stew, yielding 8–10 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 seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving, if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the stew, so you get an entire comforting meal from a single pot with barely any extra effort.
- It costs next to nothing to make and reheats beautifully the next day when the flavors have had time to deepen.
02 -
- Resist the urge to lift the lid while the dumplings are steaming because even one peek can leave you with dense, doughy lumps instead of fluffy pillows.
- The stew will thicken as it sits overnight, so add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it to loosen things back up.
03 -
- Rinse the lentils under cold water and pick through them for tiny stones because it only takes one to ruin a perfect bite.
- A splash of vinegar or a dollop of whole grain mustard stirred in at the end adds a tangy complexity that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.