Lentils with Dumplings (Printer-Friendly)
Tender lentils simmered in savory broth, topped with light dumplings for a wholesome, vegetarian main.
# What You'll Need:
→ Lentils & Base
01 - 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, 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 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (parsley, chives, or thyme)
17 - 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
18 - 1/2 cup milk
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
02 - Stir in the minced garlic, dried thyme, smoked paprika, and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices are bloomed and the paste darkens slightly.
03 - Add the rinsed lentils and bay leaf to the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - While the lentils simmer, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and dried herbs in a mixing bowl. Add the cubed cold butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
05 - Remove and discard the bay leaf from the lentil mixture. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the surface of the simmering stew, spacing them evenly.
06 - Cover the pot tightly and let the dumplings steam over low heat for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time to ensure proper steaming.
07 - Check the dumplings for doneness — they should be puffed, firm to the touch, and cooked through. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the lentils so you get a stew and a biscuit in one pot with zero extra dishes.
- Smoked paprika and tomato paste quietly build a broth that tastes like it simmered all day even though your total effort is barely twenty minutes of chopping.
02 -
- Never salt the lentils at the start of cooking because salt firms the outer skin and they will take twice as long to soften or stay crunchy forever.
- The single biggest mistake is lifting the lid while the dumplings steam so trust the timer and walk away if you have to.
03 -
- Keep your butter in the fridge until the exact moment you need it because warm butter melts into the flour instead of creating those crucial steam pockets.
- A dollop of whole grain mustard stirred into the lentil base in the last five minutes adds a quiet depth that guests can never quite identify but always love.