Eatinist #2 (Tana) Strikes Again - Turkey Dumpling Soup

 *Eatinst Bitch's Note: We're way past the holidays, obviously, and if you don't want to make this with turkey, go ahead and make this with chicken! It'll still be tasty. Of course I'd do this without dumplings...because I hate them. Take it away, Tana!

My dad's been after me to make a soup out of the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, because the 22 lb beast "called his name" in the grocery store, and as a result we had entirely too much after all five us polished off our plates.

It began as turkey soup, and then he decided he wanted dumplings as well...I've never made dumplings. And if you know Eatinst #1, you'll know she and I can go 13 rounds on dumplings and whether or not they're suitible for people above the poverty line. Ask her about it sometime!

In any case, where I would normally call her for advice on the best way to construct a dumpling, I was at a loss.

A slight digression: upon his return from the Wisconsin Badger football game the other night, he tossed a bag of Bucky (the mascot) cheese curds at me. This led to a conversation about battering and frying them, which  led me to make a simple churro dough out of flour and water and season the hell out of it. Maybe I could use this batter to make dumplings too.

Last thing before I get to the good stuff: I glanced at a few different recipes, just to get a skeletal idea of the typical ingredients and order of prep. For the most part though, I improvised. The measurements, except for the broth, are all approximations. Oh! And, my stepmom had disposed of the carcass, so I was sans beast bones.

Dumplings:

2 cups Water
1/4 tsp Salt
2 cups of All-purpose Flour
2 tbl Seasoned Salt (Lawry's is fine)
2 tsp Olive Oil or Butter

Combine flour and seasoned salt. Bring water with salt to a boil. Add olive oil and remove from heat. immediately add flour and stir vigorously until combined. Dough will be stiff and not too smooth. Let the dough cool and rest a little and then form into golf-ball shaped balls.

Here you can refrigerate them until you're ready, or if you're set to go, go ahead and boil water in a medium sized saucepan. When the water starts boiling rapidly, drop the dumplings in, taking care to make sure they don't stick together. Let them simmer and bubble for about 5 minutes. You don't want them to get fully cooked. Take them out of the water and set them aside.

Soup:

3 quarts plus one 14.5 oz can of low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbl black pepper (I prefer freshly ground, but the powder stuff is fine)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
5 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
2 tbl dried parsley
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup of carrots, diced
3 cups of shredded turkey (you can use a combo of light and dark meat)
1 tbl of olive oil or cooking spray

Using a 4 quart stock pot, heat your broth on high, and add pepper. While waiting for your broth to boil, get your veggies ready. My dad violently opposes celery; I've been threatened with being made to sleep in the garage if I add it to anything I make for him: hence, the celery seed. Also, normally I would chop all the aromatics by hand...my hand got tired and I slap-chopped the hell outta the onions and garlic. Let's be real: there is no loss of dignity in the slap chop.

When your broth has begun to boil, add half the parsley and the celery seed. Continue boiling for 10-15 minutes.

Using the olive oil (or spray), saute the carrots over medium heat. After three minutes, add the onions and garlic. Cook until fragrant and the onions are opaque. The carrots should not yet be tender.

Turn off the heat and add the veg to the boiling broth. Stir to combine and allow to boil for another 10-15 minutes. Add the rest of the parsley and the turkey and continue to boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take this time to make sure your seasonings are in order, don't forget to taste the broth. Throw your dumplings into the pot and boil for another 5 minutes, or until the dumplings are fork tender.

Congratulations! You have turkey dumpling soup (no picture because...well, I forgot and it was really tasty, and we ate it too fast)! My brothers ate theirs with oyster crackers, though I happened to have some homemade Parker House rolls on hand that were ideal for dunking.

My father's final word? "You know what's the best part of this soup? I don't have to dodge any celery."