This is a family favorite in our home. It’s passed down from my mom and brings fond memories with it whenever we have it for dinner. It has lots of vegetables and is quite healthy. My kids love it and don’t notice all the spinach, onions, and celery they’re eating.
Make it with your kids this weekend and make a few memories.
Recipe
SOUP 3 T Olive Oil 3 C Chopped Carrots 3 C Chopped Celery 1 Medium White Onion – Finely Chopped 1 tsp Chopped garlic 1/2 tsp Black pepper 1 tsp Cumin 2 tsp Oregano 1 tsp Basil 1/2 tsp Sage 1/2 tsp Thyme 1 10oz. box frozen spinach 3 32oz. boxes of chicken stock
DUMPLINGS 8 Eggs 2 C Flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Black pepper
SERVINGS This recipe makes about fifteen regular-sized bowls of soup. (About 1–1 1/2 cups per serving).
SPICE IT UP I add hot sauce to mine to make it a little spicy. My kids don’t care for the hot sauce though. For me, the sweet peppery taste goes quite well with this soup. Just a few drops per bowl though, otherwise it tends to ruin the flavor of the soup.
Ingredients
Making the Soup
Saute carrots, onions, and celery in the olive oil. Use medium heat, stirring often. Add a pinch of salt to release the liquids from the veggies. Keep covered to cook in their own steam. This takes about twenty-five minutes.Saute vegetables until tender. Stir often so they don’t burn. A little caramelizing on the bottom is okay.Next, add the herbs and spices. Stir them in and let them saute for a few minutes. This will build flavor.If you have the time, grow your own herbs. Here are oregano and sage drying in our kitchen. We grow them in our garden, hang them to dry, and usually have enough for the entire winter. It’s a nice project to involve your kids in too.Add the chicken stock and stir in.Defrost the frozen spinach in the microwave before adding it to the soup. If I have enough time before dinner I just put the frozen brick in the soup as it cooks. Tonight, I was running short on time.Stir in the spinach to break it up.Cover the pot again and allow the soup to come to a boil.
Making the Dumplings
Crack all eight eggs in a medium-size mixing bowl.Whisk the eggs well.Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper.It will be lumpy at first. Be patient and keep whisking.After whisking for 3–4 minutes the dumpling batter will smooth out.With the soup boiling, use a small spoon to drop teaspoon-sized balls into the soup. Be patient, this takes about five minutes.The drops will form and cook into different shaped dumplings. Some of the batter will break down and thicken the soup.Cover the pot again and let the dumplings cook for ten minutes.The dumplings will plump up quite a bit as they cook.Turn off the heat and let the finished soup cool for 15–20 minutes. It will thicken quite a bit and form a nice texture.
