Miso Soup with Sweet Potato Dumplings

Day 6: Mee-so Yummy!

After having the leftovers from the chicken and dumplings last night for dinner, I was craving something light and healthy for tonight's soup. Nothing is lighter than the brothy earthiness of a simple miso. That said, miso alone does not sustain, so I set about finding a recipe with a little more "there" there. On Epicurious, I found a recipe for White Miso with Sweet Potato Dumplings, which appealed two me. However, I much prefer yams to sweet potatoes and white miso, as commented in many reviews, Is far too light of a miso to compete with the flavor of either.

Miso is made from the fermentation of rice, barley, and/or soybeans, the most common varieties being white, red, barley, and soybean. Red miso is made from white rice, barley, and soybeans and is red to brownish. Red miso is high is protein and is strong in flavor. White miso is made of rice and a small amount of soybeans. It tastes the sweetest on account of a high carbohydrate content. Barley miso has no rice and is made from barley and soybeans. It has a very dark color, is saltier than other miso, and is very rich in taste. Soybean miso is made only from soybeans and is reddish-brown and somewhat chunky.

I used barley miso, frankly because it is what I have, but I also prefer barley miso because of its strong flavor and beautiful brown color. I think red miso would work well with this soup as well if you prefer a less rich flavor. In addition I added some ginger to the dumplings and altered the soup ingredients. All in all I would say this soup followed the concept of the Epicurious recipe, but varied pretty widely in its execution. I served with steamed edamame.

Miso Soup with Sweet Potato Dumplings

2 large garnet yams, cooked, peeled, and mashed

1 tbsp canola oil

1 medium shallot, minced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 in fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

12 wonton wrappers

2 cups sliced bok choy

2 carrots, diced

1/2 cup dried sliced shitake mushrooms

5 cups water

2-3 tbsp brown miso paste (depends on your miso paste)

1 tbsp soy sauce or to taste

2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a skillet heat oil and cook shallots, garlic, and ginger for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Combine with mashed yams and salt and pepper filing to taste. To make dumplings, drop a heaping teaspoon into the center of one wonton wrapper, moisten the edges and draw the corners together pressing the seams together. Set aside.

Boil 5 cups of water, using 1 cup of boiling water cover the dried mushrooms and set aside. Add miso to the remaining water. Add soy sauce to taste and set aside, keeping it warm. In another pot place vegetables, dumplings, and a small amount of water. Boil for 4 minutes or until dumpling wrappers are translucent. Remove mushrooms from soaking liquid and add soaking liquid to miso. Serve by dropping a few dumplings and veggies in the bottom of a bowl and cover with broth. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5). Dumplings rock!

Chicken and Whole Wheat Dumplings

Day 3: Fills the Belly

For the past two or three months or so, Jay and I have been trying to eat more meat (he is now officially an almost vegetarian as well). What this means is that every Sunday (at least when we are in town) Jay and I stroll down to the Ballard Farmer's Market (one of the few year-round, rain or shine markets in town) to buy what amounts to chicken gold. Free range, organic, coddled, pampered, and preened chicken that pretty much costs as much as my weekly unemployment check per pound. With this edible gold I made pretty much the quintessential winter soup, Chicken and Dumplings. After the meal Jay and I both noted feeling notably warmer. Lovely.

Like the tomato soup, I had never made Chicken and Dumplings so I consulted Epicurious and then altered the recipe to suit. I made the soup with homemade turkey stock that has been sitting in my freezer since Thanksgiving. Otherwise I altered the recipe by making the dumplings a little more waist friendly (replacing cream with nonfat yogurt and making them with whole wheat flour). When chopping your veggies, go ahead and leave them big, there is something very satisfying about big meaty chunks of carrots.

Chicken and Whole Wheat Dumplings

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced in thick slices

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 med onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 small parsnip, chopped

two sprigs fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

5 cups poultry stock (chicken is best but turkey works fine if you have it)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup lowfat milk

In a wide soup pot, heat olive oil. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and brown them on both sides. Remove them from the pot and set aside. Add onions to pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining veggies, thyme and bay leave and cook for another few minutes. Add stock and chicken. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.

While you wait, combine the first six ingredients for the dumplings. Mix the yogurt and milk together. This mix should be about the consistency of buttermilk, add extra water or milk if it is too thick. Before you ready to add the dumplings to the chicken and vegetables, salt and pepper them to taste. Add the milk and yogurt mix to the dry ingredients and mix until just wet. Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth in heaping tablespoons (about 12 or so). Continue to simmer 6-8 minutes then flip the dumplings. Simmer until the dumplings are cooked to your liking (I prefer my dumplings a little doughy). Enjoy!

Jay' review:

4.5 yums (out of 5)! Chicken! Comfort food at its finest.