Minestrone with Parmesan Dumplings

If you love minestrone, you're about to love making it even more! This recipe for Minestrone Soup with gluten-free Parmesan Dumplings is to die for!

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: dumplings, french onion soup, gluten-free dumplings, gluten-free soup, Minestrone soup, parmesan dumplings

Servings: people

Calories: 250kcal

Author: KC Cornwell

Ingredients

for the Minestrone Soup:

1 28 oz can chopped/crushed tomatoes
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
2 zucchini chopped
1 large red onion chopped
10 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon freshly minced parsley
3 tablespoon freshly minced chives
tons of black pepper
1 large bunch kale sliced to ribbons (or cabbage)
6-8 baby carrots chopped (or 2-3 whole carrots)
2 large ribs celery chopped
½ cup good quality olive oil
½ cup dry red wine
2 14.5 oz cans cannelini beans, well drained and rinsed (I dump them into a colander and rinse under the faucet)
1 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans see above
1 red bell pepper chopped
8 oz mushrooms chopped
4 oz fresh green beans chopped (or a handful of frozen green beans)
1 tablespoon sea salt + more to taste
10 cups water

for the Gluten-free Parmesan Dumplings:

1 cup gluten-free flour blend
1 scant tsp xanthan gum OPTIONAL: (omit if your flour contains it)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 scant tsp baking soda
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives or chervil
Freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cups finely grated Parmesan
1 egg
2 tablespoon butter, melted, mixed with ½ cup milk or water

Instructions

Make the dumpling batter:

I usually make my dumpling dough first, and chill it, giving it time to bind together a bit. Mix your dry ingredients in a medium bowl, wet ingredients in another smaller bowl, make a well in the center of your flour mix, and while stirring if possible, add your wet mixture to your dry, mixing until un-lumpy. Cover and set in the fridge.

Make the Minestrone:

In a large soup pot, add your olive oil. Over medium high heat, sauté your garlic, onion, peppers, carrots and celery for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
Add the zucchini and mushroom - cook another 3 minutes, until mushrooms begin to soften. Add kale, stir, cook one minute more.
Add your wine and turn heat to high for 2 minutes, until it has reduced a bit, then add water, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans including green, herbs, pepper, and salt, stir well, and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook 20 minutes, until all your lovely veggies have softened.
Taste. You'll probably need to add a little salt at this point - and maybe a dash of sugar to bring the sweetness of the green beans out - but it's totally up to you.

Add the Parmesan Dumplings:

A NOTE: Now, I'm going to say it - it's almost always best to cook dumplings in the soup you're eating them with. They absorb all the awesome flavors you've been stewing up, and the only trade off is a little cloudiness/ spare floaters in your brew. Some dislike this and would rather cook them separately, in their own little pot of boiling water, and if you'd prefer, go right ahead.
It's time to add the dumplings on top of your stew, so grab your batter from the fridge, get a large, round spoon, moisten one hand, and while the soup is gently simmering, drop one spoonful of batter at a time onto the top of the soup, using your moist finger to push it off of the spoon. Quickly form the rest of the dumplings in this same way and cover your pot.
Simmer 8-10 minutes, or until dumplings have just solidified in their middles.

Serve the Soup!

To serve, ladle a chunk of dumpling into the middle of a bowl and spoon soup all around.
A little extra grated Parmesan and some freshly ground black pepper on top never hurt anyone too!

Video

Notes

You can always add dried gluten-free pasta to the soup 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Just make sure the soup is at a high simmer or low boil prior to adding the pasta, so it will cook fully. If you're adding dumplings and pasta, add one more cup of water, and stir in the pasta before adding the dumplings.

Original Recipe Credit: No Face Plate - edits and Gluten-Free version by KC Cornwell

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