Instant Pot Lentil Fricot
A traditional Acadian recipe with a vegetarian twist. This lentil Fricot is a comforting stew made with potatoes, carrots, onions, dumplings and in this case, lentils. This recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or in the slow cooker for an easy and delicious weeknight meal.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large (or 6 small) potatoes, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup split red lentils
- 5 cups vegetable broth, no salt added
- 1 1/2 teaspoons summer savory, dried (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
Dumplings
- 1 cup flour (I used all purpose whole wheat)
- 3/4 cup plant-based milk of choice, plain and unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Set the Instant Pot on the "sauté" setting for 5 minutes. Melt the butter, then add the garlic and onion and sauté until the timer goes off. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the dumplings, to your Instant Pot. Stir together and cook on soup setting for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the dumpling ingredients.
- Once done cooking, release the steam. Spoon the dumpling dough on the soup, cover and cook for another 2 minutes using the soup setting.
- Release the steam once again. Ladle into bowls and serve with pepper to taste.
Slow Cooker
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of your slow cooker. Stir together and cover. Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Once done cooking, prepare the dumplings by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon the dumpling dough onto the soup, then cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with pepper to taste.
Stovetop
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining soup ingredients (not the dumplings) and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 15 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are cooked and tender. Stir occasionally. Taste and adjust salt and herbs to taste.
- Meanwhile, mix the dumpling ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Once the soup is done, spoon the dumpling dough onto the soup, then cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked. Serve immediately or let cool slightly and store in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
This fricot is on the thick side. Add liquid as desired. It also thickens when it cools down. If you're planning on eating some as leftovers, consider adding extra liquid (though it's still delicious eaten as a thick stew!).
I tried unsweetened soy milk, oat milk and almond milk for the dumplings with success. Choose your preferred plant-based milk.
Try adding 1-2 celery stalks (diced) into the soup when you add the carrots. It adds a great taste!
You can add 1/2 a teaspoon of savory in the dumplings if desired.
If using salted broth, reduce salt to taste. You can also use water if you don't have broth on hand.