
Brittany Aldridge
Springtime Soup with Ricotta Dumplings, Beans & Greens
The lightest, fluffiest ricotta dumplings! Mostly cheese, laced with parsley and lemon zest... this is heaven in a bowl! (Oh and they are soooo easy to make too - so no excuses!) All you need to do is mix the ingredients in a bowl, coat in flour, then plop them in this delicious springtime soup!
Spring vegetables, delicate broth, creamy white beans and nutty parmesan rind. This makes the most perfect soup for springtime - when the weather is getting warmer and flowers are blooming. Please enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
For the soup:
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 large brown onion
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 400g can of butter beans (or any white bean)
leftover parmesan rind
A sprig or 2 of fresh thyme, basil leaves, or rosemary
water
salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 -2 cups of greens: kale, cabbage, spinach, beans, zucchini or broccoli
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
For the ricotta dumplings:
300g Ricotta
1 large egg
1/4 cup almond meal (or breadcrumbs whichever you prefer)
1/4 cup flour (plus more for coating)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS
Finely dice the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Rinse the white beans in cold water, drain and set aside.
In a large pot or dutch oven warm oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, herbs, and turmeric and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the white beans and about 5 cups of water then season generously with salt and pepper.
Add parmesan rind to the pot, give it a stir then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium - low, cover and let simmer for around an hour.
When the soup has reduced slightly, give the soup a taste and check for seasoning. Remove and discard any parmesan rind that has not disintegrated.
To make the ricotta dumplings:
Mix dumpling ingredients in a bowl until just combined. Pour flour onto a plate to prepare for coating the dumplings. Spoon a tablespoon of dumpling batter at a time and plop it onto the flour. Carefully coat the dumpling with flour on all sides then set aside while you do the others. (Refer to pictures above)
10 minutes before serving (while the soup is still simmering on medium-low heat) add the greens and ricotta dumplings. Cook for 5-6 minutes, and they float to the surface. To serve; ladle soup and dumplings into bowls and enjoy!
Notes: This soup will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for 3 months, and in the fridge for a week.