Vegetarian Chili (Tomato Lentil Soup)

Date Published: Sept 9th, 2021 | Last Updated: Sept 9th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, mains, vegetarian, healthy, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 1 hr

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This soup may not look like much, but it’s SO good, healthy and really filling! The softened texture of the blended lentils resembles a minced meat texture and the combination of spices in this soup makes it taste kind of like a southern chilli – but vegetarian. The lentils pack a load of nutrients and fibre which makes this a really filling soup, perfect to keep you full when you have a busy day at work.

This recipe is adapted from RecipeTinEats with a few minor adjustments.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 Tbsps olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock
400g (1 can/14oz) crushed tomato
2 cups (400g) green lentils, rinsed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1.5 tsp ground paprika
2 dried bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped parsley for serving

Directions:

In a large pot over MED heat, sauté the garlic and onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until fragrant (~30 seconds).

Next, add in the carrot and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and easy to break with a spoon. You can put a pot lid on to help quicken this step so the veggies steam and cook faster.

Once the vegetables are soft, add in the rest of the ingredients to the pot: chicken stock, crushed tomato, lentils, cumin, coriander seed, paprika, and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil on high heat, then turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let it simmer until the lentils are cooked (30-45mins).

Once the lentils are cooked, remove the the bay leaves and use a stick blender to blend the soup a few times until you get a chunky consistency (or more if you prefer a smoother soup). Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Optional: before serving, drizzle some lemon juice and lemon zest over the bowl with chopped parsley. Serve with bread or on its own.

Summarized Recipe:

Tomato Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock
400g (1 can/14oz) crushed tomato
2 cups (400g) green lentils, rinsed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1.5 tsp ground paprika
2 dried bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped parsley for serving

Directions:

In a large pot over MED heat, sauté the garlic and onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until fragrant (~30 seconds).
Next, add in the carrot and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and easy to break with a spoon. You can put a pot lid on to help quicken this step so the veggies steam and cook faster.
Once the vegetables are soft, add in the rest of the ingredients to the pot: chicken stock, crushed tomato, lentils, cumin, coriander seed, paprika, and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil on high heat, then turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let it simmer until the lentils are cooked (30-45mins).
Once the lentils are cooked, remove the bay leaves and use a stick blender to blend the soup a few times until you get a chunky consistency (or more if you prefer a smoother soup). Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Optional: before serving, drizzle some lemon juice and lemon zest over the bowl with chopped parsley. Serve with bread or on its own.

September 9, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Mulligatawny Soup

Date Published: Aug 28th, 2021 | Last Updated: Aug 28th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: main, soups, easy, healthy, low-cal, healthy
Serves: 6 (as a main) | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 1 hour

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This is my absolute favourite soup to make. It’s simple, delicious and filling. This soup is also low in calories if you use oil instead of butter, and milk instead of heavy cream (last I counted it was less than 400 calories per serving with the substitutions). You can make this as a runny soup or cook it down longer for a chunky heartier meal. It’s like a creamy chicken soup but with flavours of curry and a hint of apples. Sounds strange but trust me it’s SO good!

This soup is actually one of the first soups I learned how to make and has been a part of my meal prep routine ever since. I must’ve made it at least 20-30 times by now – and it never gets old! I like to make a big batch ahead of time and just portion it out for the entire week so this recipe will make one big pot (I usually get about 6 portions as a main dish out of it). Feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller serving.

You can make this as runny or as chunky as you like. This is what it usually looks like after I finish making it. The photos below is what it can look like the next day after the rice absorbs more moisture.

Full disclaimer: I’ve never had authentic mulligatawny soup before so I’m not sure how close or how far away this recipe is to “the real thing”. I came upon this recipe originally from AllRecipes.com. Back in the university days when I was teaching myself how to cook, I would browse through that website and pick top-rated recipes that looked simple enough for me to attempt (there was a lot of experimenting going on in my mom’s kitchen during those days). I had no idea what Mulligatawny soup was when I first saw the recipe, but it had over 1000 reviews and a 5-star rating, so I knew it had to be something special. As you can guess, the soup turned out SO DAMN GOOD and surprisingly easy. I made the full fat version back then with butter and full cream so it was extra luxe. Over the years I’ve dialled down the calories and replaced the butter and cream with olive oil and milk. It’s not as indulgent, but still just as delicious. I brought it for lunch one day during vet school and needless to say, this recipe circulated around a few groups 😄. So to end my disclaimer: I’ve never had mulligatawny soup outside of this recipe (I’ve actually never seen it on a menu before), but this soup is damn delicious so you should try it anyway.
(From my research there are many variations of this soup – some people use coconut cream, others don’t include meat and the spices can vary depending on the recipe, so maybe this version isn’t so far away from what’s “authentic” since there are so many variations? 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1/2 cup (114g) butter (or vegetable oil to cut down the calories. You can do half oil half butter)
1 large onion, diced
Half a celery bunch (5-6 stalks), diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 package (500g/8oz) of white button mushrooms, sliced or diced
3 Tbps flour
3 tsps curry powder
8 cups (2L) chicken broth
1 apple, sliced thinly (2-3mm)
1/2 cup white rice, washed
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 pinches of dried thyme
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream (or 2 cups milk) – optional

Tip: Slice the apples as thin as you can so it softens easily in the soup (a mandolin would be helpful if you’ve got one). The apples are meant to fragrance the soup with flavour and soften up while cooking.

Directions:

Melt the butter in a big pot and sauté the onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms until they’re soft enough to break with a wooden spoon. You can put the lid on to soften the veggies quicker, stirring occasionally.

Add flour and curry powder to the pot and mix until combined. Sauté for 1-2 minutes (scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to ensure nothing sticks to the pot).

Add chicken stock to the pot. Turn to heat up to bring it to a boil, then simmer on LOW heat for 30mins, occasionally stirring to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Add apple, rice, chicken, thyme, salt, pepper and simmer until the rice is cooked (~15-20mins).

Once ready, turn off the heat and pour in the heavy cream or milk. Serve!

Notes:

This soup tastes even better the next day! Something magical happens in the fridge overnight that makes all the flavours come together beautifully.
The soup gets thicker overnight and becomes more like a “chowder” rather than a runny soup (which I think tastes even better and heartier).

Summarized Recipe:

Mulligatawny Soup

Date Published: Aug 28th, 2021 | Last Updated: Aug 28th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, mains, low cal, easy, healthy
Serves: 6 (as a main) | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (114g) butter (or vegetable oil to cut down the calories. You can do half oil half butter)
1 large onion, diced
Half a celery bunch (5-6 stalks), diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 package (500g/8oz) of white button mushrooms, sliced or diced
3 Tbps flour
3 tsps curry powder
8 cups (2L) chicken broth
1 apple, sliced thinly (2-3mm)
1/2 cup white rice, washed
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 pinches of dried thyme
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream (or 2 cups milk) – optional

Directions:

Melt the butter in a big pot and sauté the onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms until they’re soft enough to break with a wooden spoon. You can put the lid on to soften the veggies quicker, stirring occasionally.
Add flour and curry powder to the pot and mix until combined. Sauté for 1-2 minutes (scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom).
Add chicken stock to the pot. Turn to heat up to bring it to a boil, then simmer on LOW heat for 30mins, occasionally stirring to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
Add apple, rice, chicken, thyme, salt, pepper and simmer until the rice is cooked (~15-20mins).
Once ready, turn off the heat and pour in the heavy cream or milk. Serve!

Notes:

This soup tastes even better the next day! Something magical happens in the fridge overnight that makes all the flavours come together beautifully.
The soup may get thicker overnight and become more like a “chowder” rather than a runny soup (which I think tastes even better and heartier).

August 28, 2021September 26, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Corn Egg Drop Soup (玉米蛋花湯)

Date Published: June 28th, 2021 | Last Updated: June 28th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: asian, soup, healthy, vegetarian, easy, <15mins, appetizers, low calorie
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Egg drop soup is a Chinese dish commonly served in restaurants as an appetizer or a side with your meal. The Chinese name translates to “egg flower soup” because the way the egg disseminates in the soup makes beautiful swirls that resemble a floral pattern. The english name relates to the fact that the egg is “dropped” into the soup at the end to make the swirls – a little less poetic, eh?

The most basic version of the soup is just the swirly egg and broth. You’ll probably see this version most often in Asia because it’s a quick and cheap addition to a meal. Another common version (and my favourite) has added corn for extra crunch and sweetness. Some places will bulk it up with chopped ham, tofu or even chicken to make it a full meal.

This soup is so ridiculously quick and easy – all you need are a few basic ingredients and 15 minutes to whip this up. It’s also super cheap and satisfying if you’re cooking on a budget. The egg-laced chicken broth based soup with the fresh sweet crunch of the corn makes this one of my favourite classic Asian soups!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground white pepper (or more to your liking)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 can (420g) of corn kernels, drained (or kernels cut off of 2 husks of corn)
4 Tbsps cornstarch
salt & pepper to taste
4 eggs
2 spring onions, chopped for garnish

Add-ins to consider: ham, chicken, tofu

Directions:

In a pot on MED heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer then add in sesame oil, white pepper, sugar and corn. Let it come to a simmer again, then taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed, salt & pepper to taste.

Take out a few ladles of soup into a bowl and add in the cornstarch. Mix it around until smooth then drizzle it into the soup while stirring continuously (if you don’t stir, the corn starch will clump together). Feel free to add more cornstarch if you prefer a thicker consistency (remember to mix it with soup first in a small bowl, never add cornstarch directly into the soup or else it will clump).

Once the taste and consistency of the soup is to your liking, turn off the heat.

Scramble the eggs in a separate bowl, then slowly add it to the soup while stirring. The faster you stir, the more disseminated the eggs will be. The slower you stir the soup, the bigger egg pieces you’ll get.

Serve garnished with spring onions on top. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Corn Egg Drop Soup (玉米蛋花湯)

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground white pepper (or more to your liking)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 can (420g) of corn kernels, drained (or kernels cut off of 2 husks of corn)
4 Tbsps cornstarch
salt & pepper to taste
4 eggs
2 spring onions, chopped for garnish

Directions:

In a pot on MED heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer then add in sesame oil, white pepper, sugar and corn. Let it come to a simmer again, then taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed, salt & pepper to taste.
Take out a few ladles of soup into a bowl and add in the cornstarch. Mix it around until smooth then drizzle it into the soup while stirring continuously (if you don’t stir, the corn starch will clump together). Feel free to add more cornstarch if you prefer a thicker consistency (remember to mix it with soup first in a small bowl, never add cornstarch directly into the soup or else it will clump).
Once the taste and consistency of the soup is to your liking, turn off the heat. Scramble the eggs in a separate bowl, then slowly add it to the soup while stirring. The faster you stir, the more disseminated the eggs will be. The slower you stir the soup, the bigger egg pieces you’ll get.
Serve garnished with spring onions on top. Enjoy!

June 28, 2021June 28, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Simple One Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Date Published: June 24th, 2021 | Last Updated: June 24th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, easy, mains, healthy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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I LOVE chicken noodle soup. It’s so delicious and warms you right up on a cold day. Growing up in an Asian household, I never heard of chicken noodle soup until we moved to Canada and I would always see it on tv or referred to by someone as something that everyone would eat when they’re sick. Of course my mom had no idea what it was so I never got to have it until one day I saw it at the grocery store in a Campbell’s soup can and got my mom to buy it for me. I instantly fell in love with it – it actually reminds me of my mom’s Asian chicken soup but without the rice, shiitake mushrooms and different vegetables. I never knew how easy it would be to make until I came across a recipe on AllRecipes.

This recipe is easy and warming. The best part is, it’s also low in calories! I always end up eating half the pot every time I make this soup because it’s so damn good. You can choose any time of pasta noodles you like, but I prefer the classic spirals. You can also use leftover shredded roast chicken for this soup instead of chicken breast.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 Tbsps olive oil (or butter)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
Half a bunch (4-5 stalks) of celery, diced
1 cup of mushrooms, diced (optional)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 pinch of dried thyme
8 cups (2L) chicken or vegetable broth (try a low sodium one)*
1 chicken breast, diced
1.5 cups of uncooked pasta noodles (whichever kind you like)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil (or butter) in a pot over MED heat until fragrant (~30 seconds). Then add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms (if using). Cook until the vegetables are tender and easy to break with a spoon. You can put a lid on to quicken this cooking time.

Add the oregano, basil, thyme and chicken/vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil, then simmer on low heat for at least 20 mins to let the flavours infuse.

Add diced chicken and noodles to the pot. Continue to simmer until the noodles and chicken are cooked. Turn off the heat, salt and pepper to taste. Serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Simple One Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Date Published: June 24th, 2021 | Last Updated: June 24th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, easy, mains, healthy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps olive oil (or butter)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
Half a bunch (4-5 stalks) of celery, diced
1 cup of mushrooms, diced (optional)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 pinch of dried thyme
8 cups (2L) chicken or vegetable broth (try a low sodium one)*
1 chicken breast, diced
1.5 cups of uncooked pasta noodles (whichever kind you like)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil (or butter) in a pot over MED heat until fragrant (~30 seconds). Then add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms (if using). Cook until the vegetables are tender and easy to break with a spoon. You can put a lid on to quicken this cooking time.
Add the oregano, basil, thyme and chicken/vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil, then simmer on low heat for at least 20 mins to let the flavours infuse.
Add diced chicken and noodles to the pot. Continue to simmer until the noodles and chicken are cooked. Turn off the heat, salt and pepper to taste. Serve!

June 24, 2021June 24, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Date Published: March 26th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 26th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, sides, mains
Serves: 1 big pot (6-8) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Toby and I have been relief veterinarians travelling around Australia for the past 6 months. We’ve spent the last two months in Grafton, NSW and we have quite enjoyed our time here with the great team we’ve been working with. Sadly it’s time for us to move on in a couple of weeks and once again we have to start the process of using up all the things in the fridge. I’ve had a few recipes lined up for the week to destock the fridge, most of them repeats of old dishes, but today I decided to make something new. I’ve had this ‘Hungarian Mushroom Soup’ recipe saved from Allrecipes.com for over a year and for whatever reason never got around to making it until today. It was the perfect recipe to get rid of leftover parsley and celery – which I always end up buying too much of because every recipe only ever needs a little bit (and I refuse to buy half bunches of celery for $3 when I can get a whole bunch for $3.50 even if I don’t need it – it’s the principle!) I’ve never been to Hungary (it’s on the bucket list) nor have I had authentic Hungarian soup so I have no idea how close this recipe is to the real thing but Toby confirms that the ingredients and the flavours of this soup is very Eastern European, so how far off could I be? 😜

I LOVE mushrooms and any kind of creamy rich soup so you can see why I was especially excited to try out this dish. This isn’t any ordinary creamy mushroom soup – in fact, there isn’t any heavy cream at all. The creaminess comes from a flour/milk mixture that thickens the soup and the addition of sour cream makes it even richer. Paprika adds a smokiness to the soup that pairs well with the fragrance of dill which are the two dominant flavours of the dish along with the tang of the sour cream. If you want to make this soup low calorie, you can substitute the butter with olive oil and skip the sour cream altogether and serve it on the side as a dollop. This soup can be served on its own as an appetizer or a side dish, or you can bulk it up with some diced potatoes or add in nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) for a full meal.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 Tbsps (50g) butter
1 large onion, diced (~4 cups)
3 sticks of celery, diced (~3 cups) (optional)
500g white button mushrooms, sliced
4 cups (1 litre) chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped (or 1.25 Tbsp dried dill)
2 Tbsps paprika (sweet Hungarian or smokey – or 1 Tbsp of each)
2 Tbsps soy sauce
2 cups (500ml) milk
1/3 cup (100g) all-purpose flour
1.5 Tbsps lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 cup (250g) sour cream – to make this soup lower in calories, you can add in dollops of sour cream at the end instead of mixing it in
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
ground black pepper to taste
2 portions of Nokedli (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter then add the diced onion and celery. Sauté the veg for a few minutes then put the pot lid on and let it continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the celery softens and is easily broken with a wooden spoon.

Once the celery softens, add in the sliced mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes. Add in the chicken broth, dill, paprika and soy sauce. Mix it all together, turn the heat up until it comes to a boil, then turn the heat down to low to simmer with the lid on for 15 mins.

Mix the milk with the flour and pour it into the soup. Turn the heat up again until it comes to a boil, then turn the heat down to low to simmer again for another 15 mins. Your soup should be thicker and creamy.

(If using: while the soup simmers, you can make the nokedli (optional) and drain it until ready to use.)

Add the lemon juice, parsley, sour cream*, salt and black pepper. Mix everything thoroughly and turn off the heat when the soup heats through. Do not let it come to a boil. Enjoy! Serve the soup on its own or poured over fresh nokedli.

*Tip: If you prefer to use less sour cream, you can skip it in the soup altogether and just serve the soup with a dollop of sour cream on the side instead.

Summarized Recipe:

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

4 Tbsps (50g) butter
1 large onion, diced (~4 cups)
3 sticks of celery, diced (~3 cups) (optional)
500g white button mushrooms, sliced
4 cups (1 litre) chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh dill (or 1.5 Tbsp dried dill)
2 Tbsps paprika
2 Tbsps soy sauce
2 cups (500ml) milk
1/3 cup (100g) all-purpose flour
1.5 Tbsps lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup (250g) sour cream
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 portions of Nokedli (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot on MED-HIGH heat, melt the butter then add the diced onion and celery. Sauté the veg for a few minutes then put the pot lid on and let it continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the celery softens and is easily broken with a wooden spoon.
Once the celery softens, add in the sliced mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes. Add in the chicken broth, dill, paprika and soy sauce. Mix it all together, turn the heat up until it comes to a boil, then turn the heat down to low to simmer with the lid on for 15 mins.
Mix the milk with the flour and pour it into the soup. Turn the heat up again until it comes to a boil, then turn the heat down to low to simmer again for another 15 mins. Your soup should be thicker and creamy.
(If using: while the soup simmers, you can make the nokedli (optional) and drain it until ready to use.)
Add the lemon juice, parsley, sour cream*, salt and black pepper. Mix everything thoroughly and turn off the heat when the soup heats through. Do not let it come to a boil. Enjoy! Serve the soup on its own or poured over fresh nokedli.

*Tip: If you prefer to use less sour cream, you can skip it in the soup altogether and just serve the soup with a dollop of sour cream on the side instead.

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021

Abby2 Comments

Favourite Roasted Pumpkin Spinach Soup

Date Published: March 22nd, 2021 | Last Updated: March 22nd, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, vegetarian, easy, quick, healthy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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Of all the soups I make, this is probably one of the top go-to soups that Toby and I put together the most often. Why? Because it’s damn delicious, damn easy, healthy, low calorie and and filling. It even makes for an easy clean up. Sounds too good to be true, eh? The best part is that you don’t need to follow this recipe to a tee. You can add whatever veg you like to the roasting pan – which is a perfect way to sneak in extra veg for picky eaters or an even better way to clear out the fridge. All you gotta do to make this delicious soup is to roast the veggies, add some chicken stock, and blend it all up. That’s all! No cream, no butter, just a buttload of veg that keeps you full. If you ever follow the NY Times Cooking Blog, they occasionally post “no recipe recipes” which I think is a term that perfectly describes this type of recipe.

I’ve written the recipe as a guide to the basic version of the soup but feel free to swap out or add in any of the ingredients – the combinations of this soup are endless. I’ve made it with cauliflower, red pepper, zucchini…etc. If you want to bulk up this soup even more, you can add in rice and chicken as well. To make it indulgent, add a cup of cream at the end.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg (~6 cups) pumpkin, peeled and diced
3 cups (3 large stalks) celery, diced
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1.5 tsps paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
4 cups loosely packed (120g) baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C (375˚F).

I snuck some carrots in there as well leftover in the fridge

Roast the veggies: In a large baking tray, add in: pumpkin, celery, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Mix it all around and roast in the preheated oven until all the veggies are soft and breaks apart easily when cut with a wooden spoon (30-45 mins). Toss the veggies around halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Once the veggies are cooked, empty the contents of the baking tray into a pot and add in the chicken stock. Turn the heat on to MED-HIGH and let the soup come to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn the heat OFF and remove the pot from the heat*. Then use an immersion/stick blender and blend the soup until smooth.

*It’s very important that you remove the pot from heat before you start blending otherwise when the thickened soup starts boiling again it starts to splatter everywhere!

Add in the spinach and submerge it into the soup until the leaves become soft, then blend the soup again until everything is combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot!

(Tip: If you’re feeling indulgent you can add 1 cup of heavy cream at the end. I always leave out the cream to make it a healthy soup.)

Summarized Recipe:

Favourite Roasted Pumpkin Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

1kg (~6 cups) pumpkin, peeled and diced
3 cups (3 large stalks) celery, diced
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1.5 tsps paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
4 cups loosely packed (120g) baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C (375˚F).
Roast the veggies: In a large baking tray, add in: pumpkin, celery, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Mix it all around and roast in the preheated oven until all the veggies are soft and breaks apart easily when cut with a wooden spoon (30-45 mins). Toss the veggies around halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Once the veggies are cooked, empty the contents of the baking tray into a pot and add in the chicken stock. Turn the heat on to MED-HIGH and let the soup come to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn the heat OFF and remove the pot from the heat*. Then use an immersion/stick blender and blend the soup until smooth.
- *It’s very important that you remove the pot from heat before you start blending otherwise when the thickened soup starts boiling again it starts to splatter everywhere!
Add in the spinach and submerge it into the soup until the leaves become soft, then blend the soup again until everything is combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot!

(Tip: If you’re feeling indulgent you can add 1 cup of heavy cream at the end. I always leave out the cream to make it a healthy soup.)

March 22, 2021March 22, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Creamy Mushroom Coconut Lentil Soup

Date Published: March 11th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 11th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: soups, mains, low calorie, vegetarian, healthy
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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I’ve literally JUST made it up in the kitchen and thought it was too good not to add to the recipe collection. As an attempt to eat healthier, Toby and I have been cooking with more green lentils lately. Although higher in carbs, green lentils pack a ton of fibre which keeps you feeling full for longer, lowers cholesterol, and makes you regular (lol). Toby never thought he liked lentils but ever since we started cooking with them he’s realized that he has just never had them made properly!

This soup is not only packed with veggies, high in fibre, and healthy, but best of all it’s low in calories!! Each serving is only 280-380 calories (exact calories will depend on the brand of coconut milk and chicken stock you use). When I say “serving”, I don’t mean a dinky half-ladle bowl – I mean a decent sized bowl of soup that makes you feel satisfied and full. Sounds too good to be true, right?

This soup tastes creamy but not overly heavy. It’s a chicken stock-based soup cooked with onions, celery, a ton of mushrooms and fragranced with fresh thyme and lemon. The lentils add bulk to the soup and are cooked to your liking. The small amount of coconut milk (only half a can for the entire pot) is just enough to make it creamy and indulgent – you’ll forget this soup is low in calories!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 cup (200g) green lentils
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
6 sprigs fresh thyme (roughly 1 Tbsp of fresh thyme leaves)
2 bay leaves
Lemon peel of 1 large lemon, sliced into large strips
200ml (1/2 a can) coconut milk

Directions:

In a large pot on med-high heat, sauté the garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add in the diced onion and celery.

Cook until the celery softens then add in the sliced mushrooms. Continue sautéing for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their liquid.

Add in the rest of the ingredients to the pot: lentils, chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf, lemon peel, and coconut milk. Let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to low-medium and let it simmer until the lentils are cooked to your liking (~25-30 mins), stirring occasionally.

Once the lentils are cooked, pick out the lemon peel, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Creamy Mushroom Coconut Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 cup (200g) green lentils
4 cups chicken stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme (roughly 1 Tbsp of fresh thyme leaves)
2 bay leaves
Lemon peel of 1 large lemon, sliced into large strips
200ml (1/2 a can) coconut milk

Directions:

In a large pot on med-high heat, sauté the garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add in the diced onion and celery. Cook until the celery softens then add in the sliced mushrooms. Continue sautéing for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their liquid.
Add in the rest of the ingredients to the pot: lentils, chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf, lemon peel, and coconut milk. Let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to low-medium and let it simmer until the lentils are cooked to your liking (~25-30 mins), stirring occasionally.
Once the lentils are cooked, pick out the lemon peel, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Serve!

March 11, 2021March 15, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Best French Onion Soup

Date Published: August 16th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 16th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: soups
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 1 hour

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I’ve loved French onion soup for as long as I can remember – what’s not to love about caramelized onions and ooey gooey cheese? This soup has been in my recipe box for at least the past decade. In fact, it’s the first soup I can remember ever attempting to make in my mom’s kitchen back in Canada with a couple of friends after school. The results were bang-on but we didn’t know how to work the broiler (and neither did my mom – who uses a broiler in Chinese cooking?) so we didn’t get the classic bubbly cheese on top but it was still sooooo good. It was a long shopping list for us back in the day since none of these ingredients are in my mom’s traditional Chinese cooking arsenal, but now looking back at this ingredient list in preparation for today’s post, I had pretty much everything already in my pantry and picked the herbs from the garden!

This soup is pretty easy to make, but you’ll need a little patience at the start to caramelize the onions. After that, it’s just adding the rest of the ingredients then simmer and done! You can choose to top the soup with a slice of toasted bread or make your own quick chunky croutons by toasting bread cubes in the oven with some olive oil. I prefer croutons because I find it easier to eat when you don’t have to cut through a thick slice of bread and I also don’t have to worry about whether my slice of bread will fit perfectly into the bowl (plus, munching on extra croutons while the soup simmers is always a bonus). The serving size says 4-6, but when I make this soup I always end up having 4 bowls, so realistically it serves me and maybe one other person. 😜

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1/4 cup (55g) butter, unsalted
2 large red onions, sliced
2 large yellow/sweet onions, sliced
1 tsp salt
6 cups (1.5L) low sodium chicken broth – the combination of the chicken and beef broth with the salt needed to caramelize the onions and the rest of the ingredients tend to make this soup on the saltier side so I suggest using low sodium chicken broth in this soup and adding your own salt in at the end to your liking.
1 cup (250ml) beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves (or a pinch of dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
4-6 thick slices of French or Italian bread
A few slices of cheese per bowl
- A milder tasting cheese is recommended since the soup itself has a very robust flavour and can be salty – ie. Asiago, mozzarella, Gruyere or Swiss. You can do a mix of these cheeses!
- Tip: If you don’t have any oven-safe bowls, you can use shredded cheese so it melts easier over the hot soup and bread.
pinches of paprika for garnish

Directions:

In a medium pot, on medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onion with the salt until they’re caramelized and syrupy – stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t stick and burn. This is the most time-consuming process and takes about half an hour.

Once onions are ready, add into the pot: chicken broth, beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer on medium heat for 20mins without the lid, stirring occasionally.

While the soup simmers, prepare the bread: toast the bread slices until golden and crispy or alternatively you can make them into croutons by cutting them into cubes, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toast them in the oven at 180˚C for 10 minutes until golden and crispy.

When soup is ready, remove the herbs and add in the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the soup into oven-safe bowls and place the crispy toasted bread into each bowl then topped with slices of cheese. Put the soup bowls in the oven and broil on HIGH until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle some paprika over each bowl and serve. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Best French Onion Soup

Date Published: August 16th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 16th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: soups
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (55g) butter, unsalted
2 large red onions, sliced
2 large yellow/sweet onions, sliced
1 tsp salt
6 cups (1.5L) low sodium chicken broth
1 cup (250ml) beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves (or a pinch of dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
4-6 thick slices of French or Italian bread
A few slices of cheese per bowl
- A milder tasting cheese is recommended since the soup itself has a very robust flavour and can be salty – ie. Asiago, mozzarella, Gruyere or Swiss. You can do a mix of these cheeses!
- Tip: If you don’t have any oven-safe bowls, you can use shredded cheese so it melts easier over the hot soup and bread.
pinches of paprika for garnish

Directions:

In a medium pot, on medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onion with the salt until they’re caramelized and syrupy – stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t stick and burn. This is the most time-consuming process and takes about half an hour.
Once onions are ready, add into the pot: chicken broth, beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer on medium heat for 20mins without the lid, stirring occasionally.
While the soup simmers, prepare the bread: toast the bread slices until golden and crispy or alternatively you can make them into croutons by cutting them into cubes, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toast them in the oven at 180˚C for 10 minutes until golden and crispy.
When soup is ready, remove the herbs and add in the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the soup into oven-safe bowls and place the crispy toasted bread into each bowl then topped with slices of cheese. Put the soup bowls in the oven and broil on HIGH until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle some paprika over each bowl and serve. Enjoy!

August 16, 2020August 16, 2020

AbbyLeave a comment

Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)

Date Published: August 11th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 11th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: mains, soups, asian, quick and easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Khao Soi? Oh boy! If you’ve never had Khao Soi before, you’re about to have your taste buds obliterated because this dish is THE BOMB (I’ll see myself out). It uses an intense curry paste that’s similar to red curry but with the addition of curry powder (like a yellow curry paste) which is then simmered with coconut milk that results in a luxe creamy coconut curry soup with some heat. This northern Thailand dish is commonly served with egg noodles, chicken, and topped with crispy noodles. There are many variations of this dish and you can easily customize it yourself with extra veg, tofu puffs, fish cakes…etc.

I’m going to admit something here. I’m actually pretty new to Khao Soi and only heard about it a month ago on Masterchef (when Jess made it in the ramen challenge) and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since. I LOVE curries, especially Thai curries for their aromas so it’s no surprise that Khao Soi instantly made it straight to the top of my (long) list of dishes to make. Since I’ve never had Khao Soi from Thailand I can’t attest to how “authentic” my recipe is to the real thing but I can guarantee that this recipe is f*cking delicious. I ate two bowls in one sitting the first time I made it! Move over green curry, I actually think this may be my new favourite Thai curry. Since I’m a novice to Khao Soi, I came up with this recipe by reading through a LOT of highly rated “authentic” recipes and compiled all the best parts together. I’m surprised I pulled it off!

I’m a huge advocate of homemade curry paste because it just has so much vibrant flavours that you can’t get from a can without “freshening it up” with aromatics. I used my pre-made homemade Thai red curry paste for this recipe which saved SO much prep work and made this recipe infinitely easy and fast to come together (I haven’t tried this with canned paste so apologies to anyone that was hoping to use it. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!). This dish takes about 15-20 mins from start to finish. The only thing you need to chop is the chicken! So quick and easy for something SO full of flavour.

Hopefully one day when this pandemic is over I’ll be able to travel to northern Thailand and have Khao Soi to see how it compares. It’s a shame because I was actually in Chiang Mai last year for 3 weeks volunteering at an animal shelter desexing stray dogs and cats. The whole time I was there no one mentioned Khao Soi but I did have some pretty amazing green curry. Ah well, another excuse to travel! 😊

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 portions of egg noodles
Khao Soi paste:
- 1/2 cup homemade Thai red curry paste
- 4 tsps curry powder
- 4 tsps turmeric powder
1kg chicken thighs (or breast), diced into large pieces (or to preference on how big you prefer your chicken pieces)
4 cups (1 litre) reduced salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
600ml (1 1/2 cans) coconut milk
2 Tbsps fish sauce (or more to taste)
Optional: any additional veg you like

Directions:

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

In a bowl, make the khao soi paste by mixing the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder together. Set aside.

Warm a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add 1-2 Tbsps of oil and sauté the chicken pieces until browned (don’t worry about cooking it all the way through – it’ll finish cooking in the soup). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.

In the same pot, use the leftover oil from the chicken (or add more if there’s not much left) and add the khao soi paste (red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder). Quickly sauté for a couple minutes until the paste dries out a little and becomes fragrant.

Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Stir until no clumps remain from the paste. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes then add in the browned chicken pieces (and any additional veg you like). Simmer for another 5 minutes (or until veggies have cooked – if using). Add the fish sauce. Taste and adjust flavours as needed (if it’s not salty enough you can add more fish sauce or salt, if you prefer your soup creamier add more coconut milk).

Divide the egg noodles into 4 bowls and ladle the soup with ingredients into each bowl over the noodles. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)

Ingredients:

4 portions of egg noodles
Khao Soi paste:
- 1/2 cup homemade Thai red curry paste
- 4 tsps curry powder
- 4 tsps turmeric powder
1kg chicken thighs (or breast), diced into large pieces (or to preference on how big you prefer your chicken pieces)
4 cups (1 litre) reduced salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
600ml (1 1/2 cans) coconut milk
2 Tbsps fish sauce (or more to taste)
Optional: any additional veg you like

Directions:

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
In a bowl, make the khao soi paste by mixing the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder together. Set aside.
Warm a pot on MED-HIGH heat, add 1-2 Tbsps of oil and sauté the chicken pieces until browned (don’t worry about cooking it all the way through – it’ll finish cooking in the soup). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
In the same pot, use the leftover oil from the chicken (or add more if there’s not much left) and add the khao soi paste (red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric powder). Quickly sauté for a couple minutes until the paste dries out a little and becomes fragrant.
Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk. Stir until no clumps remain from the paste. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes then add in the browned chicken pieces (and any additional veg you like). Simmer for another 5 minutes (or until veggies have cooked – if using). Add the fish sauce. Taste and adjust flavours as needed (if it’s not salty enough you can add more fish sauce or salt, if you prefer your soup creamier add more coconut milk).
Divide the egg noodles into 4 bowls and ladle the soup with ingredients into each bowl over the noodles. Done!

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020

Abby1 Comment

Taiwanese Crystal Dumplings 水晶饺 (Shuĭ Jing Jiao)

Date Published: August 9th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 9th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, easy, soups
Serves: 24 dumplings | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

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[Warning: Long foreword to this post. If you want to skip ahead to the recipe, click on the link above.]

Taiwanese Crystal Dumplings!!! I don’t think I’ve been more excited or proud to share a recipe! These hold the ultimate nostalgia for me. My maternal grandparents live in Miao Li which is a county ages away from Taipei (where we lived) and it takes roughly 2.5 hours train ride to get there and then we’d have to hail a cab to get to their house because their public transport system isn’t the most efficient. Although the journey to visit them is laborious, it was always so nice to see them, especially when it was only once a year when we’d visit Taiwan. It was even better when ‘wai po’ (grandmother on my mother’s side) would visit us in Taipei and stay for a few weeks at a time. She’d always make such delicious food (steamed egg (chawanmushi), fried fish and sesame chicken soup was her specialty). Back to crystal dumplings: she never made them for us but there was a special shop in Miao Li that would sell them frozen and she’d always buy a big bag of them when she visited. Those crystal dumplings were Miao Li’s best kept secret. I’ve had crystal dumplings in Taipei from various shops, but none compared to the ones she’d bring from Miao Li. Now in her later years she doesn’t travel to Taipei anymore, but every time we’d visit Miao Li with my aunt, we’d be sure to pick up a bag before heading home.

Crystal dumplings were always this special treat that we’d only get if wai po visited or if we made the journey to Miao Li. There was no other way to get them and no one else makes a good substitute (I guess you could say I have very high crystal dumpling standards 😜). However since the pandemic, I’ve had a lot more time on my hands and I’ve been delving deeper and deeper into the cooking world. I was a self-taught cook in the kitchen and only made Western dishes in the early days roughly 8 years ago. Asian food is familiar territory when it came to ordering from a restaurant, but cooking it was completely foreign to me – I had no idea where to start (so many sauces!). Over the years I became more competent in the kitchen and started cooking more Asian food. During this pandemic and with the release of Polyphagic Abby, I found myself gravitating towards more and more traditional Taiwanese and Chinese dishes. Perhaps I’m missing my family from so far away in all this craziness or maybe it’s because there’s no decent good Chinese food out here in the Aussie country. Whatever the reason, it makes me so happy when a recipe turns out perfectly and I’m transported back to the days eating with my family again.

I’ve had a few victories so far recreating my childhood dishes such as cheese dan bing, Vietnamese pho, and Taiwanese cold noodles which I’m all really proud of, but I’m especially proud of this crystal dumplings recipe because this brings me back home. A lot of dishes make me revisit my childhood in Taiwan, but this one in particular makes me think of wai po. This is a photo of wai po and wai gong back in 2016.

Taiwan has a LOT of popular dishes but for whatever reason the reputation of the crystal dumpling didn’t cross into the Western world so it was impossible to find any recipes on these bad boys. I searched high and low and couldn’t find any english recipes for this dish so after watching multiple Taiwanese youtube cooking videos, compiling different methods and ingredients together with a lot of taste-testing and trial and error (I still have a 500g bag of failed pork filling in the freezer that I didn’t want to throw away 😂), I think I’ve successfully created a recipe that is just like the ones in Miao Li (I haven’t been to Miao Li in a few years, but I’ll have to have them side by side to be extra sure) 👏 👏 👏 (is it weird to applaud myself? I’m just that proud)! Crystal dumplings are one of my mom’s favourite foods so I’ll have to let her be the judge when we can be together again. This is the reason why I’m so proud and excited to share this recipe with you. Not only because it’s so sentimental to me, but also because I feel like I’m introducing crystal dumplings to the Western world and it’s a Taiwanese secret that the world needs to know about.

Taiwanese crystal dumplings have an outer casing that’s made with potato starch which becomes translucent when the dumplings cool down after being cooked (hence “crystal”). The starch gives it a distinct chewy texture. The casing itself doesn’t have much flavour but serves more as a textural component. The real flavour is in the pork filling which is sautéed in fried shallots and soy sauce, making a little flavour bomb. The intensity of the flavours in the filling carries the bland casing with it to create a wonderful balanced mouthful of savoury chewy goodness. There are multiple ways to eat a crystal dumping. My favourite way is to have it in a bowl of warm chicken soup with fried shallots but you can also eat it on its own or throw it in a hotpot. Scroll to the end of the recipe and I’ll show you how to eat them in different ways! I’ll be uploading a video on how to make them shortly so keep an eye out!

Anyways, thanks for reading my story and without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Filling:
- 200g pork mince
- 1 1/2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsps fried shallots
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
Crystal Dumpling Skin:
- 1 cup (165g) potato starch
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 3 Tbsps (45ml) cold water + more if needed
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Bowl of cold water + 2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Make the filling: Heat a skillet over MED-HIGH heat and sauté 1/3 of the pork mince in some oil until cooked through. Add in the soy sauce and stir until fragrant. Turn off the heat and mix in the fried shallots.

Put all the contents from the skillet in a large bowl and mix in the remaining pork mince and white pepper to the bowl. You should now have a sticky filling mixture. Set aside.

Make the dumpling wrappers: In a wide base bowl (you want a wider base for a bigger surface area), add in potato starch and pour the boiling water over the potato starch and mix with a spatula until combined/clumped together. When the dough is cool enough to handle, continue mixing with your hands. THIS STEP IS CRUCIAL! The boiling water cooks the starch and it’s what gives the dumpling the chewy texture so you want to mix it all together as best as you can before adding the cold water. Once you’ve mixed it as well as you can (you’ll end up with a rough dry dough (second photo)), add in the cold water 1/3 at a time while using your hands to mix the dough until you get a smooth ball (you might not need all of the water, just add enough until it’s smooth). Roll the dough around the bowl to ensure you’ve incorporated all of the potato starch into the dough. Add in 2 tsps of sesame oil and mix it into the dough. You should have a smooth, easily pliable dough ball similar to soft play-doh.

Oil your hands and roll the dough out into a roll and cut it into 24 equal pieces (you can keep dividing the dough into halves until you reach 24 pieces). Then using your hands, flatten each small dough ball into a flat pancake roughly 2-3mm thick and place 1 tsp of filling in the middle. Bring the edges together to form a triangle shape and press together the edges to seal it.

Tips:

Be careful not to overfill the dumplings! This dough is not like typical dumpling dough and does not stretch well – it can easily break if you stretch it too much or overfill the dumplings. If you can see the filling through the skin, you’ve stretched it too much and it will have a higher chance of breaking while cooking.
If you’re worried you’re wrapping them too thin or thick, you can always wrap a few and cook them first as a test to see if the thickness is right for you.
While you’re wrapping the dumplings, keep the rest of the dough covered so it doesn’t dry out. By keeping your hands oiled during the wrapping process it helps keep the dough moist and easier to work with.

Puffy with clear edges. Ready to strain!

Cook the Dumplings: Once you’ve finished wrapping all your dumplings, bring a pot of water to a hard boil and gently drop the dumplings in one at a time. Traditionally when dumplings float to the top they’re considered cooked, however with these dumplings I found that they need a little longer to cook the skin to get the ultimate chewy texture. These dumplings will pretty much float to the top in the first 30 seconds, but they aren’t done cooking until the skin looks a little puffy/squishy and the edges are a little translucent (see photo above – it’s hard to describe it!), ~5-8 mins to cook.

Strain from the hot water and dunk them into a bowl of cold water with sesame oil (the oil stops them from sticking together and the cold water stops the cooking process, firms up the skin, and also makes the dumplings more translucent). When cooled, drain them (don’t let them soak for too long in the water or they can get soggy and fall apart).

Choose Your Eating Adventure:

In a broth (my favourite way!!): Add some fried shallots and chopped spring onion to a bowl and pour hot chicken stock into the bowl, topped with a few dumplings and serve. You can also add in some noodles and shredded chicken if you like to make it a full meal.

Eaten alone: If the dumplings have cooled, put them in a pot of boiling water to warm them up and then drain and serve with any sauce you like. Lao gan ma crispy chilli oil would be my go-to choice! You can alternatively also eat them directly as they come out of the pot after boiling instead of dunking them in cold water but make sure you add some sesame oil on them or else they’ll stick together when you serve it.

Storage: Drain the dumplings well and place them in a plastic bag with a teaspoon of sesame oil and mix them around. You can refrigerate them in the bag for a few days but I’d recommend eating them soon

In a hotpot: Dump them directly in your hotpot soup! They only take a couple minutes to warm up and be ready to eat.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Crystal Dumplings 水晶饺 (Shuĭ Jing Jiao)

Ingredients:

Filling:
- 200g pork mince
- 1 1/2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsps fried shallots
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
Crystal Dumpling Skin:
- 1 cup (165g) potato starch
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 3 Tbsps (45ml) cold water + more if needed
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Bowl of cold water + 2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Make the filling: Heat a skillet over MED-HIGH heat and sauté 1/3 of the pork mince in some oil until cooked through. Add in the soy sauce and stir until fragrant. Turn off the heat and mix in the fried shallots. Put all the contents from the skillet in a large bowl and mix in the remaining pork mince and white pepper to the bowl. You should now have a sticky filling mixture. Set aside.
Make the dumpling wrappers: In a wide base bowl, add in potato starch and pour the boiling water over the potato starch and mix with a spatula until combined/clumped together. When the dough is cool enough to handle, continue mixing with your hands to pick up as much starch as possible (you’ll end up with a rough dry crumbly dough (see photo above) – THIS STEP IS CRUCIAL! Next add in the cold water 1/3 at a time while using your hands to mix the dough until you get a smooth ball (you might not need all of the water, just add enough until it’s smooth). Roll the dough around the bowl to ensure you’ve incorporated all of the potato starch into the dough. Add in 2 tsps of sesame oil and mix it into the dough. You should have a smooth, easily pliable dough ball similar to soft play-doh.
Oil your hands and roll the dough out into a roll and cut it into 24 equal pieces. Then using your hands, flatten each small dough ball into a flat pancake roughly 2-3mm thick and place 1 tsp of filling in the middle. Bring the edges together to form a triangle shape and press together the edges to seal it (see tips and photos above). Don’t overfill or stretch them too much and keep your remaining dough under cover so it doesn’t dry out.
Cook the Dumplings: Once you’ve finished wrapping all your dumplings, bring a pot of water to a hard boil and gently drop the dumplings in one at a time. They’re done when the skin looks a little puffy/squishy and the edges are a little translucent (see photo above – it’s hard to describe it!), ~5-8 mins to cook.
Strain from the hot water and dunk them into a bowl of cold water with sesame oil. When cooled, drain them (don’t let them soak for too long in the water or they can get soggy and fall apart).

Choose Your Eating Adventure:

In a broth (my favourite way!!): Add some fried shallots and chopped spring onion to a bowl and pour hot chicken stock into the bowl, topped with a few dumplings and serve. You can also add in some noodles and shredded chicken if you like to make it a full meal.
Eaten alone: If the dumplings have cooled, put them in a pot of boiling water to warm them up and then drain and serve with any sauce you like. Lao gan ma crispy chilli oil would be my go-to choice! You can alternatively also eat them directly as they come out of the pot after boiling instead of dunking them in cold water but make sure you add some sesame oil on them or else they’ll stick together when you serve it.
Storage: Drain the dumplings well and place them in a plastic bag with a teaspoon of sesame oil and mix them around. You can refrigerate them in the bag for a few days.
In a hotpot: Dump them directly in your hotpot soup! They only take a couple minutes to warm up and be ready to eat.

August 9, 2020August 23, 2020

Abby2 Comments