Soup season is officially here! This satisfying, hearty vegetable dumpling soup truly creates the perfect cozy vibes this winter.
The exact origin of vegetable dumpling soup is difficult to pinpoint, as dumplings and soups have been staples in many cultures for centuries. Dumplings themselves have a long history, with early versions appearing in China when a physician named Zhang Zhongjing created them to help villagers with frostbite.
Vegetable dumpling soup, as we know it today, likely evolved from these early dumpling recipes, with variations appearing in different cuisines around the world. Here are a few notable examples:
- Wonton Soup: A Chinese classic, wontons are typically filled with pork, shrimp or vegetables and served in a clear broth.
- Mandu-guk: A Korean soup featuring mandu (dumplings) filled with meat or vegetables, often served in a beef or anchovy broth.
- Tortellini in Brodo: An Italian dish where tortellini, small ring-shaped pasta filled with meat or cheese, are served in a rich broth.
- Xiaolongbao: Also known as soup dumplings, these Chinese dumplings are filled with pork and a gelatinous broth that turns into soup when steamed.
- Matzo Ball Soup: A traditional Jewish soup with matzo balls (dumplings made from matzo meal) served in a chicken broth.
This vegetable dumpling soup has soft, fluffy, biscuit-like dumplings made with a mixture of flour, baking powder, salt & olive oil. The baking powder in these dumplings is what gives them their lift and results in a light and fluffy texture. The dough is cooked in the flavorful simmering soup, resulting in little balls of deliciousness.
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Vegetable Dumpling Soup
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Instructions
Soup
Add all ingredients to a stock pot. Cover & simmer until the vegetables are tender, approximately 2 hours. Stir periodically during cooking time.
During the last ½ hour of the cooking time prepare dumpling dough.
Dumplings
In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt with a spatula. Form a well in the middle of the dry mixture & add olive oil & warm water. Mix until dough forms into a sticky ball. Cover with a dish towel & set aside for about 10 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes of the soup’s cooking time carefully drop in dollops of the dumpling dough, about 1 inch (2-cm) in diameter.
Let dumplings simmer for about 10 minutes, or until chewy and cooked through.
Ladle soup into serving bowls & top with dumplings. Serve hot.
Pasta is without a doubt, one of the most versatile ingredients to cook with. It can be prepared in so many unique ways with different sauces. Pesto sauce is one of those … a simple sauce with simple ingredients that packs a huge flavor.
Pesto sauce originated in Genoa, which is located in the northern region of Italy. The Italian word for pesto: pestare, means to pound or to crush. It was originally prepared with a marble mortar and wooden pestle. However, the translation may be a bit misleading because preparation does not consist of pounding, rather it is of grounding.
Traditionally, pesto is made of crushed garlic, fresh basil and pine nuts blended with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. There are many variations of pesto and while the most popular is a pasta sauce, it can be used for a spread or dip, salad dressing or as an accompaniment to steak, poultry or fish. Red pesto is either made from sundried tomatoes or red bell peppers.
This pasta meal comes together easily in a short space of time. Sometimes its the simplest dishes that are truly the best!
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Baked Shells w/ Pesto, Mozzarella & Meat Sauce
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Instructions
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In a saucepan over low heat, saute onion in olive oil for 5-7 minutes. Add ground pork, 2 Tbsp water, pepper, sage, red pepper flakes & ginger. Cook, stirring until no longer pink.
Add salt, dried basil & diced tomatoes; bring to a boil then lower heat & simmer for 20 minutes. Stir periodically. At the end of cooking time, stir in pesto & remove from heat.
While sauce is simmering, cook pasta shells al dente. It is important not to overcook shells as they will be further cooked in the oven. Drain pasta, add cooked sauce & gently toss.
Place half of the pasta in a baking dish & sprinkle with half of mozzarella & Parmesan. Top it up with remaining pasta & sprinkle with other half of the cheeses.
Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is golden & pasta is hot & bubbly.
Recipe Notes
- Don't hesitate to bake your pasta in individual servings.
Having just returned from Merida, Mexico and holiday memories are still fresh in our minds, we wanted to share a few of the city’s highlights.
Merida is the cultural heart and soul of the Yucatan with multiple museums, art galleries, restaurants, theaters and stores. Brion and I have made a point of staying in hotels which are a close walk to Paseo de Montejo. This main avenue of the city was named after the founder of Merida, Francisco de Montejo. Built at the end of the 19th century and inspired by the boulevards of France, Paseo de Montejo used to be the site of mega mansions belonging to the well-to-do families in the city. While many of them now are the headquarters of national and international banks and companies, they still retain the heritage of the city.
Music and dancing play an important role in the day to day life of Merida’s residents. Outdoor, live performances can be seen frequently around the city. Cultural activities are plentiful on Saturday and Sunday evenings. The main road is closed off to traffic on Sundays for ‘Family Bike Day’, a day when families are encouraged to get out and ride their bikes along Montejo avenue. This historic city offers a wonderful insight into its rich culture, incredible cuisine and friendly people.
If you care to read about some of the tours we took last year while we were in Merida, check out my blog articles on this site from February 2019.
Today’s blog recipe is called Mexican ‘lasagna’ due to the layering of tortillas in place of lasagna pasta noodles.
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Mexican Lasagna
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Instructions
In a large saucepan, scramble-fry ground beef with celery, onion & green pepper. Add tomatoes, enchilada sauce, olives salt & pepper; simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes.
Heat oil in skillet. Cut 2 tortillas into quarters; cook remaining 6 tortillas & the quarters in oil till crisp & golden. Drain on paper towels. Set aside quartered tortillas & break up remaining six. In a bowl, combine cheddar, cottage cheese & slightly beaten egg.
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 9 X 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of meat mixture. Top with 1/2 of the cheese mixture then 1/2 of the BROKEN tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with meat mixture. Top with quartered tortillas.
Bake for 30 minutes then allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.
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It seems anyone who makes chili has their own particular way of doing so. First off, the meat can be ground or in big chunks and as far as the beans go … most any variety you choose will work. Some like their chili extremely hot with spices and others … well, not so much. Toppings usually consist of a choice of sour cream, cheddar cheese or green onion. The bottom line is to just personalize it to your liking and share your ideas. Recipes are made to be shared. That’s how they improve and change and new ideas are created.
Although cornbread might be considered simple and dated, it is the cornerstone of soul food. I have posted cornbread ideas numerous times over the years. I love it! The smell and taste of fresh cornbread are definitely nostalgic for me.
Today, what started out as just a simple bowl of chili with some warm cornbread became much more. My inspiration started with some left over roast beef which became chili and from there it went to ‘why eat chili out of a regular bowl when you could have it in a cornbread bowl’? I thought it might be a bit tricky to use a quick bread recipe with baking soda and/or baking powder as they are usually quite tender. Yeast-leavened cornbread is more bready and less muffin-like in texture. It has the structure for holding up to chili and isn’t inclined to go to mush.
I will not try and tell you this is one of those meals you can put together in 15 minutes but I did think the end result was worth the effort.
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Roast Beef Chili in Cornbread Bowls
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Votes: 1
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Instructions
Cornbread
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup lukewarm water & mix in 1 tsp sugar. Let mixture sit until foamy & thick about 10 minutes. In a separate bowl combine 2/3 cup sugar, salt, flour & cornmeal; set aside.
When yeast is thick, add oil, eggs & 1/2 cup warm water; mix well with a whisk. Add dry ingredients & with a wooden spoon mix well. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough until reasonably smooth, adding another tablespoon of flour if necessary.
Grease bowl & place dough in it. Cover with a tea towel & allow to rise for 1 hour. Divide the dough in half & place in greased individual pans. Allow the cornbread to rise for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until they test done with a wooden pick. When cornbread has cooled slightly, hollow out center of each & fill with chili. Yield: 2 large 'bowls'.
Roast Beef Chili
In an ovenproof, heavy bottom pot, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pot & set aside. Saute onions & garlic in bacon drippings until tender-crisp. Add beef broth & simmer for 5 minutes then add the rest of the ingredients except roasted red pepper, bacon & roast beef.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Bring chili to a boil then place in oven for an hour or so. Check on it part way through & stir.
In the final 1/2 hour, add peppers & bacon. In the last 5 or 10 minutes add the cooked roast beef.
Serve in cornbread bowls with preferred garnish. Chili yield is about 13 cups .. around 8-10 servings.
Any extra, I portioned & froze for another meal.
