Carrot & Cumin Spoon Dumplings in Spinach Broth

The recipe

Carrot & Cumin Spoon Dumplings in Spinach Broth

Small carrot and cumin dumplings gently poach in garlic broth, with spinach stirred in at the end. A single-dumpling check helps you adjust the batter before cooking the batch.

Ingredients

• 120 g raw carrot, peeled and trimmed edible weight, finely grated
• 2 g dry ground cumin
• 50 g raw beaten egg, weighed without shell
• 180 g dry plain wheat flour
• 80 g pasteurised semi-skimmed milk
• 5 g dry baking powder
• 1,200 g prepared vegetarian stock
• 8 g raw garlic, peeled edible weight, finely sliced
• 180 g raw spinach, washed and trimmed edible weight
• 2 g salt, divided equally between batter and broth

Instructions

1. Put the stock, garlic and 1 g salt in a wide saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then simmer for 5 minutes while you make the batter.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, cumin and remaining 1 g salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg and milk, then fold in the finely grated carrot and all its released juice.
3. Fold the wet mixture into the flour just until no dry patches remain. Leave for 5 minutes. The batter should be thick and scoopable, dropping from a teaspoon with a push from a second spoon rather than pouring.
4. Check one dumpling first: slide a rounded teaspoon of batter, approximately 10 g, into the gently simmering broth. Partially cover and cook for 8 minutes, keeping the liquid at a quiet simmer. Lift it out and cut through the centre; it should be set throughout, with no sticky raw batter. Floating alone does not show that it is cooked.
5. If the test dumpling is cooked but heavy and tight inside, fold 10 g hot broth from the saucepan into the remaining batter; repeat once if it still feels stiff. If it sheds batter or breaks apart, reduce the heat, rest the batter for another 5 minutes and use smaller, 8 g spoonfuls. Repeat the single-dumpling check after an adjustment. If the centre is simply raw, extend cooking by 2 minutes and check again.
6. Cook the remaining batter in two batches, leaving space between dumplings. Use two teaspoons to slide approximately 10 g portions into the broth. Partially cover and gently simmer each batch for 8–10 minutes, using the successful test dumpling as your timing guide. Avoid stirring during the first 3 minutes. Cut one open from each batch to confirm a fully set centre.
7. Lift the first batch into a warm bowl with a little broth and cover while the second batch cooks. Return all dumplings to the saucepan, add the spinach and gently press it into the broth. Simmer for 2 minutes until wilted and everything is hot, then divide the dumplings and broth between three bowls.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour above 32°C. Keep at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Reheat gently until the broth and dumpling centres reach 74°C; add a little water if needed. Dumplings soften during storage.

Substitutions and ingredient notes

Replace the milk with the same weight of unsweetened soy milk if needed, checking for soy allergy. Wheat flour and egg provide structure, so substitutes need a fresh single-dumpling check. Check stock and baking-powder labels for allergens, including celery, milk and gluten; the original recipe contains wheat, egg and milk.

Estimated nutrition

313 kcal · 14g protein · 56.9g carbohydrate · 3.5g fat · 4.2g fibre per serving.

Calculated from measured ingredients and generic composition data. Brand choices and substitutions change the estimate.

Storage references: USDA leftover guidance · FSA food guidance