Lentils With Dumplings (Print version)
Tender lentils in a rich vegetable broth topped with light, fluffy dumplings for ultimate comfort food.
# What goes in:
→ 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
# Cooking steps:
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, about 5 minutes.
02 - Stir in 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 all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cold diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just combined; be careful not to overmix.
04 - Increase 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 simmering 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 with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving, if desired.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- It costs almost nothing to make yet tastes like you spent hours planning it.
- The dumplings steam right on top of the stew so you get an entire meal from a single pot.
02 -
- Lifting the lid during dumpling cooking is the fastest way to end up with dense doughy lumps instead of light fluffy pillows.
- The stew will thicken as it sits so add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers.
03 -
- Rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingers rather than a fork gives you better control over the texture and keeps the butter colder.
- A pot with a tight fitting lid is non negotiable for good dumplings so test the seal before you start cooking.