Lentils With Dumplings (Printable)
Hearty lentils and vegetables topped with fluffy dumplings for a comforting 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 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
# How-To Steps:
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 25–30 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; be careful not to overmix.
04 - Increase the heat under the pot so the stew returns to a lively simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough (about 1 tablespoon 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 the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
05 - Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving, if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the stew, so you get a complete meal from a single pot with zero extra effort.
- Smoked paprika sneaks in a warmth that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to mingle overnight.
02 -
- Lifting the lid during the dumpling steaming step releases the trapped steam and can leave you with gummy, undercooked dough.
- The stew thickens considerably as it sits, so add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers.
03 -
- Make the dumpling dough while the lentils simmer so it is ready the moment you need it, keeping the butter cold right up until it hits the flour.
- Toasting the paprika in the oil for ten seconds before adding vegetables deepens its smoky flavor without any extra effort.