It’s apparently “Comfort Food Week” in the kitchen of Mike and Katie. It could be due to the weather getting colder, or it could be because I think I’m coming down with a cold. Either way, between the cookies, the sweet potato pie, and now some easy vegetable broth soup, I feel like I’m 8 years old again.
Drop dumplings hold a special place in my heart. I remember as a kid helping my grandmother drop the dough into boiling water, making enough dumplings to last a week. The tradition was passed down to my mother once my grandmother could no longer handle standing over the stove. And while my sister took it over for my mom now that my mom suffers from severe knee pain, I’m proud to take up the mantle with a bit of my own personality thrown into the mix.
I adapted this recipe from How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, quite the compendium of deliciousness. They refer to it as spaetzle, but I feel that unless you have a spaetzle maker, you’re crossing the line into dumpling category size-wise. I swapped out a cup of the all-purpose flour with a cup of wheat flour to make the dumplings slightly healthier. I think for the next pot, though, I’ll add some seitan or fake chik’n to really go for the chicken and dumplings soup feel.
Whole Wheat Drop Dumpling Soup
Makes 4 servings
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 quarts + 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk, plus more if needed
- Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, a minute or two. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, combine the flour with a large pinch of salt and several pinches of pepper in a bowl. Lightly beat the eggs and milk together in another bowl and add to the flour, stirring. If necessary, add a little more milk until the mixture has the consistency of thick pancake batter.
- Keep the stock at a steady but not violent boil. Scoop a teaspoon or so of batter and drop it into the stock. Small pieces may break off, but the batter should remain largely intact. Repeat with all of the dough. When the spaetzle rise to the top they will be done.
- Serve!
Two Bites in Suburbia 