Lentils With Dumplings (Printable)
Savory lentils and vegetables topped with fluffy dumplings make a satisfying, cozy meal perfect for chilly evenings.
# 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 - 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 diced onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté until vegetables are softened, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Add 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 lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold diced butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just combined; avoid overmixing.
04 - Increase heat to bring the stew to a lively simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough (about 1 tbsp each) onto the surface of the stew, yielding 8–10 dumplings. Cover the pot tightly and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
05 - Taste the stew and adjust seasoning as needed. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley before serving, if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the stew, so everything cooks in one pot and cleanup is almost nothing.
- It costs roughly nothing to make and feeds four people like a proper meal, not a compromise.
- That smoky paprika threading through the lentils will make you close your eyes on the first bite.
02 -
- Lifting the lid during those fifteen minutes of dumpling steaming will release the heat and leave you with dense, sad little dough balls instead of fluffy dumplings.
- The lentils will continue to absorb liquid as the stew sits, so it is best served immediately or thinned with a splash of broth when reheating.
03 -
- Rinse the lentils under cold water and pick through them for small stones or debris, because finding a pebble in your stew will ruin the mood instantly.
- Cut the butter into the flour mixture while it is still refrigerator cold, and work quickly with your fingers so the warmth of your hands does not melt it before the dumplings hit the steam.