Lentils With Dumplings (Printable Version)
Tender lentils in a rich vegetable stew, crowned with light, buttery dumplings for the ultimate comfort food experience.
# 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 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced
18 - 1/2 cup milk
# How To Make It:
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 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 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 lentil stew returns to a lively simmer. Drop tablespoon-sized spoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the surface of the stew, making 8 to 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.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the stew, so everything cooks in one pot and cleanup is almost nothing.
- Smoked paprika gives the lentils a campfire warmth that makes you feel like you cooked over an open flame even though you just stood at your stove in socks.
02 -
- Lifting the lid while the dumplings steam lets all the heat escape and they will collapse into sad little pancakes instead of clouds.
- If your lentils seem dry before adding the dumplings, splash in another half cup of broth because the dumplings absorb liquid as they cook.
03 -
- Taste and season the stew twice, once when you add the lentils and again at the very end, because lentils drink salt slowly and the flavor shifts as they cook.
- Keep your butter genuinely cold right up until you rub it into the flour, and if your kitchen is hot, pop the bowl in the fridge for five minutes before adding the milk.