Lentils With Dumplings (Printable)

Savory lentils and vegetables topped with fluffy dumplings make this comforting dish perfect for cozy evenings.

# 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 - 1½ tsp baking powder
16 - ½ tsp salt
17 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
18 - ½ cup milk

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
02 - Add 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 to low. Cover and simmer for 25–30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
03 - While the stew simmers, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir gently until just combined — avoid overmixing.
04 - Increase the heat under the pot so the stew returns to a lively simmer. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the surface of the stew, spacing them apart (yields 8–10 dumplings). Cover the pot tightly and steam for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
05 - Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving, if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The smoky paprika transforms simple pantry lentils into something that tastes like it simmered all day.
  • Those pillowy dumplings steam right on top of the stew, so you get a full meal from a single pot with zero extra effort.
02 -
  • Lifting the lid during those 15 minutes of steaming will let all the heat escape and leave you with gummy, undercooked dumplings, so resist the urge.
  • The stew will thicken considerably as it sits, so if you are reheating leftovers, splash in a little broth or water to loosen it back up.
03 -
  • Rinse your lentils under cold water and pick through them for tiny stones, because finding a pebble in your stew will ruin the entire mood.
  • Let the stew rest for 5 minutes off the heat before serving, since the flavors settle and the broth thickens into something velvety and perfect.

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