Lentils with Dumplings (Print Version)
Comforting lentils cooked with vegetables, topped with fluffy herb dumplings for a hearty vegetarian meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Lentil Stew Base
01 - 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and small diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, small 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 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Herbed Dumplings
13 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
15 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried herb blend (parsley, chives, or thyme)
17 - 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
18 - 1/2 cup whole milk
# How to Cook:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the onion turns translucent.
02 - Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, smoked paprika, and tomato paste to the pot. Stir continuously and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and the tomato paste deepens in color.
03 - Stir in the rinsed lentils and bay leaf. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - While the lentils simmer, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and dried herbs in a mixing bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in using your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir gently just until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together.
05 - Remove and discard the bay leaf from the lentil stew. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dumpling dough evenly over the surface of the simmering stew. Cover the pot tightly and steam over low heat for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
06 - Check the dumplings for doneness by cutting one open; it should be puffed, light, and cooked through with no wet dough in the center. Ladle the stew and dumplings into bowls and serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dumplings steam right on top of the lentils so you get a full meal from a single pot with almost no extra effort.
- It costs next to nothing to make yet tastes like something you would pay good money for at a cozy neighborhood bistro.
02 -
- Lifting the lid while the dumplings steam lets the heat escape and they will collapse into sad, dense lumps, so set a timer and walk away.
- Do not skip rinsing the lentils because tiny stones and dust often hide in the bag and no one wants a surprise crunch in a comforting stew.
03 -
- Taste the lentils before adding the dumplings because once the lid goes on you cannot adjust seasoning, and bland broth makes for bland dumplings.
- Keep the butter for the dumplings in the fridge until the exact moment you need it because warmth is the enemy of fluffiness.