Whether floating on top of soup or nestled into a chicken casserole, dumplings are a classic winter comfort food to me. We're talking about those bready, fluffy, herb-filled dumplings the size of meatballs. A few of those in a dish and I'm a goner. Just take a look at these recipes.
The best thing about these dishes is the way the dumplings start to melt into their surroundings. The dish turns thick and creamy almost magically. Meanwhile, the dumplings themselves are absorbing liquid and becoming soft and chewy. This combination of textures might not be for everyone, but for me, it's instant comfort.
FROM THE KITCHN:
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Chicken Soup with Herb Dumplings
• Gourmet's Strawberry Dumplings
FROM THE WEB:
• Chicken with Cornmeal Dumplings from Martha Stewart
• Beef Ale Stew with Green Onion Buttermilk Dumplings from Sunset Magazine
• Beef Goulash with Dumplings from Simply Recipes
• Lamb Chili with Masa Harina Dumplings from Epicurious
• Matzo Ball Soup from Smitten Kitchen
What's your favorite dish with dumplings?
(Image: Martha Stewart)
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For any non-meat eaters out there, I can't say enough about how much I love Fresh365's Vegetarian Chicken & Dumplings, see: http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2009/10/28/vegetarian-chicken-dumplings.html
I omit the fake meat altogether from this (I just use extra vegetables) and us baby lima beans in place of the peas. Because we are gluten-free, I also recommend the GF Bisquick mix for the dumplings. Altogether, the meal is simply fantastic and very filling.
Thanks for that vegetarian link! My (2 years) vegetarian husband was just lamenting about never being able to eat my chicken and dumplings again. I'll try that recipe, maybe adding some mock-duck for the protein.
Another thanks for the vegetarian link, and your suggestion to omit the fake meat. Vegetable soup and dumplings sounds perfect on these cold evenings.
LOVE dumplings. Though they constantly spark a debate with my southern mother and northern born father on which kind (noodly chewy or fluffy biscuity) is a REAL dumpling ;)
My mom made the drop in kind when she made turkey and dumpling stew. Always after thanksgiving and my favorite part was fishing out the dumplings.
upon moving to the south, I was introduced to made from scratch chicken n' dumplings. The south wins.
What's funny smooshmallow, is I don't think anyone knows who made what kind! I grew up in the south and always thought dumplings were fluffy drop kinds. So did my mom. My dad from the north thought they were the thick noodly kind. But I've met southerners who swear we made the noodly kind and northerners who say drop fluffy kind are an only north thing. I think it just depends who you talk to! So funny.
Another good vegetarian recipe is the one featured on The Chew by Daphne Oz:
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Daphne-Oz-Dumplings
I made this a few days ago. I added some kale and instead of apple cider, I used a flavorful pumpkin ale (Weyerbacher's). Very tasty.
UNF, those strawberry dumplings. They're easily made vegan, for anyone concerned, and work great with a lot of other fruits. The dough comes together fine with whatever milky item you might have, you just might need more or less depending on the viscosity.
jmorri26...it's weird, isn't it.
My mother grew up in the midwest and she made the flat noodle kind. Never made the drop kind, and they have always intimidated me. But the Southern ladies where I grew up made the noodle kind also.
I made the drop kind for the very first time a few weeks ago (I'm an experienced home cook but that intimidation got the better of me). I didn't really care for them but maybe mine just weren't good. They were really dry inside. I probably wouldn't bother with them again.
this Hearty Tomato and Herb Dumpling Soup is a phenomenal vegetarian alternative: http://acozykitchen.com/hearty-tomato-and-herb-dumpling-soup/
i was dubious at first that herb/parmesan dumplings would go with a soup flavored with cumin, coriander, and chili powder, but i'm so glad i tried it. perfect for a cold winter day.
Vhopcroft - thanks for the link! I'm new at dumplings and that looks delicious.
MMMMMM, dumplings. Thanks to everyone who posted the veggie recipes.
Mark Bittman's spaetzle from How To Cook Everything Vegetarian are the easiest dumplings in the world to make, and the broth recipe is delicious. Perfect comfort food for a cold day. You can find it here on pg 146.
charlotte- I like both kinds, but probably more partial to the fluffy drop ones. Give them another shot- they're really pretty easy but you have to be careful not to overmix the dough (think like when making biscuits) you want it like VERY thick pancake batter almost. They should be moist and fluffy inside.
My go-to budget meal is lentil stew with dumplings. I've been making it for 10+ years, a pot lasts a week, and I've never gotten sick of it. Except for the colour (more brown) it looks exactly like the picture at the top of this post. I don't really have a recipe for the stew; there are lots of onions, some veggie broth, a bit of soy sauce, lots of turmeric, and my dumpling recipe is adapted from a book of camping recipes.
If I wanted noodles, I'd eat noodles. Those northern carpetbaggers can keep their noodle dumplings! Bring on the Bisquick!
oh, and the northern carpetbagger comment was meant as a joke! :)
When I saw the subject I was thinking dumplings, as in asian dumplings, ravioli, pierogies, etc.