The Scoop
Amish Dumplings: A comforting mix of nostalgia and easy homemade magic, perfect for rainy days.
My first venture into making these comforting Amish dumplings happened on a rainy day when I decided to take a culinary trip down memory lane. I remember the tangy aroma of tomato juice as it simmered on our stove back when I was a fresh high school graduate, celebrating my entry into university. My mother handed me a heaping teaspoon of beef bouillon and some Italian seasoning, smiling as she said, 'These are the secrets to the best comfort food.' That day, she taught me how essential it is to make sure those onions are truly translucent before adding the rest. It’s the little things that count.
I can still recall the rhythm of cutting vegetable shortening into flour with forks, an oddly satisfying ritual on that momentous day. Preparing the dumplings was almost therapeutic, each piece as imperfectly perfect as my teenage hopes. Mom always warned that overworking the dough would yield tough dumplings, so I learned patience as I gently folded in just enough milk. That’s a lesson I carry beyond the kitchen. Dropping each dumpling into the broth felt like a quiet celebration of new beginnings.
As I ladled the fragrant dumplings into bowls, the steam curled upwards, warming the room and marking my transition to adulthood. That first bite, softened by the parsley's freshness, was a taste of home and hope. On rainy days, these dumplings remind me of embracing change with a mixture of nervous excitement and culinary magic.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 heaping teaspoon beef bouillon paste
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (68-ounce) bottle tomato juice
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- parsley, to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- In a large pot that is at least 4-inches deep over medium heat, add the coconut oil, the garlic, and the onion and cook until the onions are translucent.
- In a small bowl, add the beef bouillon and the water and stir until the bouillon has dissolved.
- Add the bouillon mixture, the Italian seasoning, the bay leaves, the salt, and the pepper to the onion mixture and cook, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the tomato juice into the onion mixture and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a low boil and add the butter.
- Reduce the heat and cook the soup over a low boil.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour.
- Cut the shortening into the flour with a fork or a pastry blender until the lumps are pea-size.
- Stir enough of the milk into the flour mixture until it is moistened. It is ok to have milk left over. Don't overwork the dough or the dumplings will be tough.
- Use two spoons to drop the dumplings into the low boiling soup, cover the pot, and cook over low heat until they are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Do not stir.
- Ladle the dumplings into bowls and spoon the soup over them.
- Serve the dumplings garnished with the parsley.
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