Garlicky Chicken Soup with Corn and Dumplings

A good use for leftovers after roasting a nice succulent local chicken, plus last summer's corn from the freezer.  The dumplings can be optional, but they make the whole thing more substantial.

Soup
Olive oil
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium shallots or 1 small onion, minced
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
3 cups corn kernels (frozen is ok)
Chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
1 - 1 1/4 cup while whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup parsley (fresh or frozen) or 2 Tbsp dried
1/4 tsp salt

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot.  Add the garlic and shallots and saute over medium high heat for 2 minutes or so.  Add the chicken, corn, stock, bay leaf, thyme, and some salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer while you get the dumplings together.

To make the dumplings, combine the eggs and oil in a smallish bowl, then stir in the flour, parsley and salt.  The dough will be a little sticky, but should hold its shape.

Bring the soup back to a boil, then drop in teaspoon-sized balls of dumpling dough.  Cook at a boil for about 10 minutes, then remove the soup from the heat and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Mushroom Soup with Rosemary-Parmesan Dumplings

This soup is quite simple, allowing the flavorful dumplings to play a starring role. My increasingly picky three year old scarfed them down.

Soup
olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb mushrooms (shiitake or whatever you like), sliced
3 medium carrots, sliced in rounds
Water and/or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour

To prepare the soup, heat some olive oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic and saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and several cups of water and/or stock, bring to a boil, then simmer until the carrots are tender.

While the soup simmers, prepare the dumplings. Combine the egg, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan, then add the baking powder and flour and mix with a fork until it forms a dough.

Form the dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands and drop them into the soup with a slotted spoon. Do this carefully to ensure they don't stick together. Cook in the soup until done, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve the soup and dumplings together in bowls.

Serves about 4.