Lentils With Dumplings (Printable)

Tender lentils and vegetables topped with fluffy dumplings in this hearty one-pot comfort meal.

# What You Need:

→ Lentils and Stew

01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 bay leaf
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Dumplings

13 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
17 - 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
18 - 1/2 cup milk

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and diced celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent.
02 - Stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly.
03 - Add the rinsed lentils, bay leaf, and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - While the stew simmers, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in the chopped parsley if using, then pour in the milk. Stir gently just until the dough comes together; be careful not to overmix.
05 - Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dumpling dough evenly onto the surface of the simmering stew. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed, fluffy, and cooked through.
06 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into warm bowls and serve immediately.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The dumplings steam right on top of the stew so you get a full meal from one pot with zero extra effort.
  • It tastes like it simmered all day but honestly needs less than an hour of mostly hands off cooking.
  • Leftovers thicken overnight into something even more satisfying for lunch the next day.
02 -
  • Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are steaming because every peek releases the heat they need to puff up properly.
  • The stew will look like it has too much liquid when you add the broth but the lentils absorb a surprising amount as they cook.
  • Overmixing the dumpling dough is the fastest way to end up with chewey little lumps instead of light fluffy clouds.
03 -
  • Toss in a Parmesan rind while the lentils simmer if you eat dairy because it infuses the broth with a savory depth that is impossible to replicate any other way.
  • Let the finished stew rest off the heat for five minutes before serving because the broth thickens slightly and clings to the lentils much better.

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