Dumplings are one of my favorite things to eat. The texture- chewy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, makes a nice addition to any soup. They’re also neutral in flavor so they’ll never overpower the dish. Chicken & Dumplings was one of my favorite meals back in my meat eating days. Since becoming a Pescatarian I’ve altered the meal to fit my diet, and make a Vegetable Dumpling Soup instead. This time around I added plantains to my usual recipe to add bulk and texture to my soup.
This Vegetable Dumpling Soup is chock full of vegetables and loaded with flavor. There’s not much chopping involved since I simply use frozen mixed vegetables to get a variety of veggies without putting in too much work. I also add extra frozen corn and sweet peas to up the amount of protein. Usually I add potatoes but didn’t have any. That’s how I ended up adding plantains. In the future I’ll be adding both potatoes and plantains.
We tend to eat all of the dumplings the first go round, then there’s none left in the pot when we have leftovers. So I sometimes double the dumping portion of the recipe to make sure that we have more than enough. By the way, I use gluten free flour to make my dumplings, making this recipe gluten free. You can use regular all purpose flour though if that’s what you prefer.
I used green plantains in this recipe, but sweet yellow plantains can also be used. The sweetness actually adds a nice balance to the flavor. You can also add a protein of your choice, like chicken legs or even fish chunks. Aside from the vegetable bouillon, there are no measurements for the seasonings. Season to taste. I hope that you enjoy this Vegetable Dumpling Soup With Plantains as much as I do.
Plantain & Vegetable Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup water (add gradually)
The Soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tsp vegetable bouillon (or 6 cups of vegetable broth)
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 green plantains (peeled & sliced)
- 3 potatoes (peeled & chopped; optional)
- 16 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- turmeric
- black pepper
- dried parsley
Instructions
- To prepare the dumplings, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in the water. Add the olive oil, and stir again until the batter is creamy. Set aside until the soup is almost done.
- To prepare the soup, heat the olive in a dutch oven or soup pot. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic. Sauté until fragrant and soft.
- Now add the plantains and potatoes (optional) and sauté a few minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Next, add the vegetable bouillon and water. If you'd like to adjust the amount, it's 1 teaspoon per cup of water.
- Season your broth to taste with the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Cover the pot and let simmer until the plantains and potatoes are cooked through.
- Bring the pot to a boil and add the mixed vegetables. Cook until slightly tender.
- Now it's time to add the dumplings. Using a teaspoon, carefully drop the batter into the boiling soup until you run out. Put the lid back on the pot and let cook for five minutes or so until the dumplings are done.
- Turn off the pot and garnish the soup with dried parsley.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Swap gluten free flour for flour of choice
- You can leave out the potatoes if you prefer
- Yellow plantains can be used as a substitute for green
