Lentils With Dumplings (Print Version)
Tender lentils in a rich vegetable broth, topped with light and fluffy dumplings for ultimate comfort food.
# 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 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
→ Dumplings
14 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
15 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
16 - ½ teaspoon salt
17 - 2 tablespoons 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. Cook 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 25–30 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 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; be careful not to overmix.
04 - Increase the heat so the stew reaches a lively simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough (about 1 tablespoon 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 the seasoning as needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving, if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the stew, so you get a full meal from a single pot with zero extra dishes.
- Smoked paprika transforms simple pantry lentils into something that tastes like it simmered all day.
- It costs almost nothing to make and freezes beautifully for those nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are steaming or they will deflate and turn dense instead of fluffy.
- Stir the dumpling dough as little as possible once the milk goes in because overmixing builds gluten and makes them tough.
03 -
- Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers rather than a fork because the warmth of your hands helps distribute it evenly without overworking the dough.
- Taste the stew before adding the dumplings and make it slightly saltier than you think it should be because the bland dumplings will balance it out as they cook.