Naked Dumplings in Immunity Soup
No wonton wrapper here - the pork mixture is dropped straight into a deeply spiced, slow-simmered broth and poaches as the dumpling itself. A proper, restorative bowl for when someone in the house needs looking after.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 litres chicken broth
2 lemongrass stalks, smashed
4 cinnamon sticks
8 cloves
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 head garlic, cut in half
1 x 10cm piece ginger, finely sliced
1 tbsp turmeric
rice noodles, to serve
For the dumplings
500g pork mince
1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch bok choy, stems only finely chopped (reserve the leaves for blanching in the soup)
1 tbsp cornflour
1 egg white
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp grated ginger
3 spring onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
salt, for seasoning
METHOD
Simmer the broth with the lemongrass, cinnamon, cloves, onion, garlic, ginger, peppercorns and turmeric for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the pork, water chestnuts, bok choy stems, cornflour, egg white, sesame oil, grated ginger, spring onions and oyster sauce in a bowl. Season with salt.
Once the broth is infused, strain out the spices.
Scoop dumpling-sized portions of the pork mixture into the simmering broth.
Cook the dumplings on a very gentle simmer for 15 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve with the reserved bok choy leaves and rice noodles.
HINTS
Homemade chicken broth makes a real difference here, but if you're after this on short notice, a good powdered broth will still get you there.
Keep the simmer gentle once the dumplings go in - a rolling boil will break them apart before they hold together.
A handful of fresh coriander scattered over at the end adds a welcome lift to what's otherwise a deeply savoury, warming bowl.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 11,900 kJ (2850 cal)
Protein: 110 g
Fat: 125 g
Saturated fat: 40 g
Carbohydrate: 250 g
Sugars: 15 g
Fibre: 15 g
Sodium: 6000 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.