January 21, 2014 January 21, 2014/ Morgan
You may not know this, but I grew up far from my current home in Oregon. I grew up in Arkansas with a mother from Texas and a father from Kansas. I ate a lot of “Southern” food. My favorites were cornbread, big pots of black eyed peas, fried okra and chicken with dumplings. Now I know that some people think that putting biscuits inside your soup is dumplings. That’s cool – whatever floats your boat. To me, that’s just biscuits on your soup. This is my dumplings – they are like thick hearty noodles.
Of course these days I eat much healthier (and of course, vegan / plant-strong!) The dumplings are whole wheat and the soup has lovely white beans in them. It still has that hearty stick to your ribs goodness that really brightens your spirits in the cold winter or when you’re stuck in bed sick (if you’re stuck in bed make someone else make this soup for you!)
Oh and I don’t skimp on the dumplings here. They are plentiful and that’s just the way I like it. Do you know that they are sometimes called “slick dumplings” ? I thought that sounded a bit funky so we’re going with just dumplings here. Whatever you call it, it’s still the best darn dumpling soup I’ve ever had!
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 large potatoes, peeled (or not – your choice!) and cubed
- 1 can white beans, drained (about 1.5 cups)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup minced parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Dumplings:
- 1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 – 1 cup soy, almond, or your favorite non dairy milk (start with less and add more as necessary!)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Put a large pot over medium high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir frequently to prevent sticking and add a bit of water now and then if needed. Cook until the onions start to soften slightly. Add in the garlic and potatoes and cook for another minute or so.
Add in beans, broth, water and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile mix the whole wheat flour, non-dairy milk, salt and baking powder together in a small bowl. Knead a few times and then roll out the dough on a floured surface until thin. Cut into square (or be crazy and use a cookie cutter or make triangles, octagons, amoebas, whatever!)
Drop the dumplings one at a time into the simmering soup. Stir it around to prevent them from sticking. Tturn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
Stir in the parsley before serving. Add any salt or pepper to taste at the end.
January 21, 2014/ Morgan/ 
