Easy Drop Dumplings for Soups and Stews

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup milk or water

10 cups store-bought or homemade soup or stew

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fine salt together in a large bowl.

Add 1 cup milk and mix until combined. The batter should be thick enough to be scooped and dropped from a spoon. Let it rest for a few minutes.

Bring 10 cups store-bought or homemade soup or stew to a boil (be sure there is enough liquid in the pot). Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the soup. Try to keep the dumplings on top of the vegetables and meat.

Lower the heat to medium-low to maintain a lively simmer. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the dumplings. Do not remove the lid until it is time to check the dumplings. The dumplings are ready when they have doubled in size, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Once done, divide the dumplings between bowls and serve.

Notes

Nap time—Give the dumpling batter time to rest before dropping spoonfuls into the stew or soup. This rest time allows the baking powder to activate, resulting in a fluffier dumpling.

No packing—It is important not to compress the dumplings into tight balls but rather let them fall off the spoon into the broth with just the nudge of a finger or another spoon.

Make your own—If you do not have baking powder in your pantry, you can make your own. To get 1 teaspoon of baking powder, mix together 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch.

Soak it up—The dumplings will soak up a lot of broth as they cook, and the flour will thicken the liquid slightly, so add a little extra liquid to your stew or soup.

Yield—When using a large dinner spoon and a heaping amount of batter, the recipe makes about 12 big dumplings that cover the top of a Dutch oven. Make smaller dumplings if you like, and adjust the time accordingly.

Nutrition

• Calories: 314 kcal
• Total Fat: 4 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 16 mg
• Sodium: 1671 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 54 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 14 g