Bean & Cabbage Soup with Herb Dumplings
by Katherine Deumling
@cookwithwhatyouhave
Dumplings are simple to stir together and if you happen to have sourdough starter on hand, you can employ some of it to make them extra bouncy and moist. The fresh herbs make them particularly flavorful. You can cook dumplings in most any soup, so this is just a suggested combination. Vary the beans, vegetables, stock and herbs to suit your taste and pantry.
Variations
Incorporate different beans by using various or a combination of butter beans, cannellini beans, great northern beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, and/or black eye peas. Red or black beans can be substituted or added to the dish, as well.
Cooked or canned beans (drain if using the latter) work well when limited on time. Add them to the soup during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Soaked, and drained, beans, as described below, are highly nutritious and delicious.
Great herbs to use, in any combination, are parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, tarragon.
Serves 4-6
For the soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 leek, well washed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or any hot pepper, fresh or dried, to taste
2 cups soaked and drained white beans (see variations)
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup water
4 cups cabbage, chopped (regular green or savoy are my favorites here)
Salt and plenty of pepper
Chopped parsley or cilantro, for serving
For regular dumplings:
1 1/4 cups flour (whole wheat or spelt is delicious)
3/4 teaspoon salt
Several pinches red pepper flakes or cayenne or minced fresh serrano chili (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped
1 large egg
3/4 cup whole milk (or plant-based milk)
For sourdough dumplings:
1/4 cup active sourdough starter
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour (whole wheat or spelt is delicious)
2/3 cup whole milk (or plant-based milk)
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Several pinches red pepper flakes or cayenne or minced fresh serrano chili (optional)
3/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped
Heat the oil in medium pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, garlic, carrot, celery, thyme and hot pepper. Gently cook for about 8 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the soaked beans, stock and water and bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 25-30 minutes or until beans are tender. Add cabbage and taste for salt and add pepper and cook for a few minutes to soften the cabbage.
If making the regular dumplings, stir together flour, baking powder salt and hot pepper, if using. In another bowl whisk egg and milk together and stir in herbs. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and combine quickly. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop small walnut sized portions of dough and gently place on simmering soup. They will expand significantly so leave a little space between. (If you can’t fit all the dough in one layer you can cook the remaining dough after you’ve served the first round of soups and dumplings. You should have enough soup left to cook all of it.) Cover the pot and gently cook the dumplings (without flipping them) for about 10 minutes or until they are cooked through when tested with a sharp knife.
For sourdough dumplings, stir together the starter with the flour and milk in a medium bowl. Cover and let rise for 3-8 hours (if you’re in a rush you can also skip this step for slightly less fluffy but still delicious dumplings). When your soup is ready, whisk the egg, salt, baking soda and power, hot pepper (if using) and herbs into the flour/starter/milk mixture. Cook and serve as described above.
Serve soup and dumplings with a generous scattering of fresh herbs.
