Sunday, December 16, 2007

veggies n' dumplings

Pre-vegan days, I was a huge chicken n' dumplings fan. Now that I think of it though, I was, and still am, more of a dumplings and broth fan. Tonight it is going to be 24 degrees and has been a steady low 40's/high 30's all day so I wanted something both nostalgic and warm. I was originally just going to make a veggie and bean soup, but wasn’t in a bean kinda mood. So, I sautéed onions, celery and carrots together with olive oil and sea salt until translucent. Then I added a few diced small red skinned potatoes, a box of veggie stock, water, a bay leaf, black pepper and dry thyme. Realizing this wasn't a very substantial soup, I decided to thicken the broth and make dumplings. In a small pan I combined two tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of margarine to make a roux. I added probably two cups of the broth (with a few bits of veggies) from the soup until it looked like a very thick gravy. I added the gravy back into the bigger pot of veggie soup and watched as it became stew-like.
I like a fluffy, biscuit like dumpling, not the dense, chewy kind that sink to the bottom. If you like a chewy dumpling, this is NOT for you.
The dumpling recipe I came up with was:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon natural sugar
1/4 cup of vegan shortening (I use Spectrum brand)
3/4 cup plain soy milk WITH 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together and cut the shortening in with your fingers until it resembles wet sand. In a measuring cup, mix soy milk and lemon juice together and be amazed (it gets soooo thick!). Add soymilk/lemon juice mixture to the flour mixture and stir until it just comes together. Drop by the tablespoon into the simmering pot of stew-like soup, and cover with a tight fitting lid for 15 minutes. These dumplings will get a bit soaked through after a while, but I actually like that feature.
This definitely hit the spot on such a cold night!
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16 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

veggies & dumplings soup is DEFINITELY the meal to hit the spot during these cold, winter months - I'm snowed in (literally), so I wonder if I can gather ingredients from my pantry to make this! :0)

Candi said...

I agree that this is a great "snowed in" recipe! I bet I also have all the ingredients on hand, which is nice. Your photo makes me want it pre-made and in front of me right now. ;) I am off to shovel out my car from the snow, and I'll be thinking of your soup photo!

Alisa said...

Those look great! I had never eaten a dumpling until I was an adult, but they are rather addictive!

Vegan_Noodle said...

Believe it or not, I don't think I've ever had a dumpling. Sounds tasty though.
Hope you're staying warm!!!

Ashasarala said...

I miss dumplings. They are sooo good. The soup kinda reminds me of the matzo ball soup I made recently. Mmm.

Theresa said...

Yum, I love dumplings. I remember my mum making chicken and dumplings, and we would all fight over the last dumpling. No one fought over the chicken, though....

Sam said...

I am really going to have to make that now. It's freezing here too, and I think that would hit the spot...

Unknown said...

yum! dumplings!

Judy said...

That is something I've never eaten, dumplings. Mustn't be a Canadian thing.

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Vegan dumplings?! It isn't too cold here, but I can stil make a warm, comforting soup, right? ;o)

bazu said...

I love dumplings SO much. I love all doughy, carby, things, but dumplings are the best of all. Thanks for the recipe idea!

Anna said...

DUMPLINGS! Something I always used to read about in books growing up, but never really got to try. A friend recently made a sweet dish for us--it was amazing: golden syrup dumplings... I'd like to try your savoury dumpling dish.

fughawzi said...

Oh yay! I've been looking for a good recipe to try. I used to love making the dumplings with my grandmother, and they were always my favourite part of the soup.

Wheeler's Frozen Dessert said...

Mmmmm, it LOOKS like it certainly hit the spot! Perfect for wintry weather! -Amy@Wheeler's

Unknown said...

Wow this is a great blog OMG I love those dumplings I love dumplings lmao ty ty ty ty

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