Dumpling Soup

For the soup:**

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1 leek, diced (optional)
• 1-2  parsnips, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1-2 diced carrots
• 2 stalks diced celery
• 1-2 cup diced potato
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• ½ cup dry white wine 
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth or stock (a great recipe here)
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Dumplings:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons parsley (or other herbs such as sage, tarragon)
• ½ teaspoon fine-grain salt or seasoning salt
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 cup milk of choice
• 2 teaspoons minced chives (optional)

Instructions:

Make the dumplings

1. In bowl whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, herbs and salt. 
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted butter and milk of choice into bowl and whisk together until a shaggy dough forms.  
3. Set to the side while you make the soup (you can make them while the soup simmers but we find that stressful).

Make the soup

1. Heat oil or butter in a wide Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat
2. Add the diced onion and leak, and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic, and sauté for 1-2 additional minutes then add carrots, celery, potato, parsnips, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and parsley. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the rest of the soup vegetables if you are adding any (minus peas) to the pot. Sauté until the veggies are tender (15 or so minutes). 
4. Add 2 tablespoons of flour, and sauté, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until flour is just starting to brown. DO NOT LET THIS BURN.
5. Add ½ cup of dry white wine, and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot, until it has evaporated.
6. Add the broth or stock (and whatever other spices you want and chicken or beans if you add them), and increase heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to a simmer.
7. Drop the dumpling batter into the soup in tablespoon size, spaced apart as much as possible- you should get 8-10.
8. Place the lid on the pot, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes or so. (add peas here if you plan too). The dumplings should be light and fluffy inside, and the vegetables tender to a fork. I always take a dumpling off the side to test. Serve in bowls with a couple of dumplings per bowl. Garnish with fresh parsley and herbs.

**Optional Add-Ins:

The beauty of this soup is you can add or remove as much or as little as you want. Here are some other things you can add.

• 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 pounds chicken, shredded
• Tomato paste 
• Cremini mushrooms, chopped
• Sweet potato, chopped
• Fennel, diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Nutritional Yeast to taste