Daring Cooks September 2011 Challenge: Stock To Soup To Consomme

Thai-style Chicken Dumpling Soup

Peta, of the blog Peta Eats, was our lovely hostess for the Daring Cook’s September 2011 challenge, “Stock to Soup to Consommé”. We were taught the meaning between the three dishes, how to make a crystal clear Consommé if we so chose to do so, and encouraged to share our own delicious soup recipes!

Mandatory Items: You must make a stock and turn it into a soup (savoury or sweet). You must also make an accompaniment for your soup.

It was also optional to turn the stock into consomme. Due to lack of time, we did not...next time! This soup was good, but honestly the dumplings were our favorite part. You could really taste the ginger and lemongrass from the dumplings in each bite. We'll likely make the dumplings again and use them as an appetizer with soy sauce for dipping.

Vegetable Stock 
1 bunch leeks (white parts only)
1 pound carrots
2 large Spanish onions
1 fennel bulb, trimmed
1/4 cup canola oil
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
3-4 quarts cold water


Directions

1. Coarsely chop all vegetables, and then more finely chop in a food processor (or by hand if you do not have one). Pour oil in a large pot and cook all vegetables for 5-8 minutes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and cover with water.

3. Strain the stock over another pot.

4. Place the pot of stock on the stove. You will be using this again shortly (with the recipe below)!

Thai-Style Chicken Dumpling Soup
Recipe adapted from this recipe

6 cups stock (we used vegetable, but if we were to do it again I'd go with chicken stock)
1 stalk lemongrass, (bulb and tough outer leaves removed), sliced and chopped
Juice from 1 lime
3-5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon. soy sauce
1/2 cup cooked boneless chicken, shredded
1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated
2 spring onions, sliced
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1 jalapeno, sliced and deseeded
1/2 small cucumber, sliced into matchstick-like pieces
Juice from 1.5 limes
1 package square wonton wrappers
Handful of basil leaves (garnish)


Directions

Once you've made your stock (vegetable or chicken), add lemongrass, juice from 1 lime, soy sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Making the Dumpling:
1. Mix chicken, ginger, spring onions, fish sauce, and oyster sauce until well incorporated. Prepare a small bowl of water to dip your fingers in.

2. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper. Wet the outer edges of the wrapper with your fingers. Bring all 4 corners of the wonton up over the filling and press to stick together. Then pull up the sides, sealing the dumpling well so that the filling will not leak into the soup.

3. Add the dumplings, tomatoes, and jalapeno to the stock. Boil for 5 minutes, or until dumplings float to the surface. Reduce heat to low and add cucumbers and lime juice. Taste your soup and add salt as needed (we added a LOT of salt).

4. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil. This soup can be paired with our country bread!

NOTE: The dumplings alone are amazing. We recommend making extra, freezing them, and boiling or sauteing them to dip in soy sauce.