Lentils With Dumplings (Printable Version)
Savory lentils with vegetables, topped with fluffy homemade dumplings for a hearty 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 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, 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 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 — be careful not to overmix.
04 - Increase heat to bring the stew 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 as needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving, if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- Everything cooks in a single pot, which means dishes are minimal and cleanup is almost nonexistent.
- The dumplings steam directly on top of the stew, so they absorb flavor while staying impossibly fluffy inside.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, making it ideal for weeknight meal prep without any loss in texture.
02 -
- Lifting the lid during the dumpling steaming step will release the trapped steam and leave you with dense, flat dough blobs instead of fluffy dumplings.
- Resist the urge to overmix the dumpling dough, because stirring too much develops gluten and makes them tough rather than tender.
03 -
- Rinse the lentils under cold water and pick through them for small stones or debris, because even reputable brands occasionally let something slip through.
- Everything about this recipe doubles easily, but use a pot with plenty of headroom so the dumplings have space to steam without touching the lid.