Creamy Vegetable, Chick Pea & Dumpling Soup

While I am fully aware that the classic dish is usually chicken (or even turkey) and dumplings, in this instance, however, I didn't think ahead to pulling some chicken breasts out of the freezer so I fudged things a little and improvised. But you know what? Some of my best dishes come from just these sorts of situations, and this one was a delightful success. Not as thick as the traditional chicken and dumplings, this particular version had a rich base without being too heavy, thus "soup" instead of a stew. AND, because I don't make dumplings very often, I actually follow the recipe straight from the Better Homes & Garden New Cook Book that I've had since my college days. [insert nostalgic sigh]

Creamy Vegetable, Chick Pea & Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried dill
8 ounces of mixed vegs (I've said it before, and I'll say it again- you NEED to keep this stuff in your freezer!)
1 cup tomatoes, diced
2 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk (yes, I used plain soy milk)
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2" piece of Parmesan rind
1 (15.5 ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried herbs (I used a combination of parsley and dill)
1/4 cup milk (yes, it was soy again)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, saute the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in all of the spices and cook for another 3-5 minutes before adding the tomatoes and mixed vegs. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes then sprinkle on the flour, stirring to coat the vegs. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Raise the heat to medium-high, continuing to stir as you add in the stock and drop in the Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the soup reaches a boil, you'll notice it thickening slightly; turn the heat back down to medium-low, stir in the chick peas, and allow the soup to simmer gently for 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and herbs. Pour in the milk and oil, stirring just until combined. Once the dough comes together, immediately spoon it by the tablespoonful (you should get 4-6 dumplings out of it, depending on how generous your scoops are) to float on top of the simmering soup. Cover the pot and walk away for 20 minutes. NO PEEKING!

After 20 minutes, test the dumplings for doneness just like you do with baked goods- a toothpick inserted in the center blah blah blah. Like most soups, this one tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.

Enjoy!