Vegan Dumpling Soup

What to expect from this recipe?

Unlike many other recipes, we do not use heavy cream or coconut milk to thicken this soup. Instead, our soup recipe is incredibly light, closer to a clear vegetable soup. It will fill you up without weighing you down!

We load this vegan dumpling soup with celery stalks and root, carrots, parsnips, white beans, and green peas and boil it in a vegetable broth with onion, garlic, and parsley.

We use potatoes to make the dumplings, giving them a much better flavor compared to simple vegan dumplings made from flour and water. In addition to the fresh chopped parsley we add to the soup, we also add dried parsley to the dumplings to give them a delicious flavor that matches that of the soup.

The natural flavor and aroma will have your mouth watering and your belly craving for more! Here is why you will love this recipe:

• It is easy to make and ready in just half an hour.
• It does not require any fancy equipment or ingredients. You can easily find everything you need in your neighborhood grocery store.
• The entire recipe is prepared in one pot, saving you time from doing multiple dishes!
• It is full of flavor and filling, yet not too heavy.
• You can easily customize it to your taste with other vegetables and herbs.
• It freezes well, so you can cook a large batch at once and save some for later!

Ingredients

In this recipe, we use cooked potatoes to make the dumplings and a variety of vegetables and herbs for the soup. If you want to customize the soup’s ingredients, we will provide more ingredient and recipe ideas in the Variations section.

• Olive oil
• Onion (small, yellow onion)
• Garlic cloves
• Carrots (medium)
• Celeriac (small) – This is also known as celery root.
• Celery stalk
• Parsnip (small)
• Cannellini beans – You can also use canned white beans.
• Green peas (frozen)
• Veggie broth
• Parsley
• Saffron seklice – It is optional to make the soup golden yellow. You can substitute it with a mix of sweet paprika powder and turmeric 1:1.
• Salt and pepper

Vegan dumplings

• Potatoes
• All-purpose flour – You can also use a gluten-free flour blend to make it gluten-free.
• Corn starch
• Baking powder
• Dried parsley

? You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Preparing the ingredients

1. Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic cloves.
2. Peel and slice the carrot, celeriac, celery stalk, and parsnip.
3. Peel, chop, and cook the potatoes in boiling water.

Making vegan dumplings

1. Use a fork to break up the cooked potatoes in a bowl. You can also put the potatoes through a potato ricer if you have one. Only do this step if the potatoes are not too hot and steaming. Wait a bit for them to cool down.

2. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, dried parsley (optional), and salt.

3. Use your hands to mix and knead the dumpling dough until it turns into a ball. The more you work it, the less sticky it will be. Don’t add anything if it doesn’t come together, just keep kneading. After approx. 5 minutes, it should look similar to the photo below.

4. Using your hands and roll approx. two tablespoons of the dough into a small ball. The baking powder will expand the dumplings, so they will be approx. 20-30% larger than the initial size.

5. Repeat until you finish the remainder of the dough. You should have nine vegan dumplings at the end.

Making vegan dumpling soup

1. Preheat your Dutch oven or stockpot (or any other heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onion and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes until tender.
2. Add the finely chopped garlic. Stir and cook for one minute.
3. Add the chopped celery, carrot, celeriac, and parsnip. Stir and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the chopped parsley, saffron seklice (optional), salt, and black pepper. Stir well.

5. Add the vegetable broth and bring the soup to a boil.

6. Add dumplings and cook the soup for approximately 5-6 minutes, ensuring it is constantly boiling (increase the heat if needed).

6. Add the frozen peas and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
7. Lastly, add the cannellini beans (or canned, drained white beans) and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Cooking tips

• Cook the dumplings separately from the soup – There are three reasons to do that: 1) you do not have a large enough stockpot, 2) you are making dumplings for the first time and are concerned about timing and consistency, or 3) you are working with gluten-free flour. Since the starch content can seep into the soup and thicken it more than you want it to.
• Make sure to cut the vegetables evenly so that they soften at the same time.
• Increase the soup’s heat if needed to ensure it is constantly simmering and bubbly.
• Don’t make dumplings with hot, cooked potatoes. It is tough to knead something hot. Wait for the potatoes to cool down so it is safe to touch them.

Variations

Our recipe is just one of the many ways you can make vegan dumpling soup! This dish is super customizable, so you can pack it with the vegetables and seasonings of your choice. Here are a few more ways you can make your soup:

• Other vegetables: Try this vegan dumpling soup recipe with other vegetables such as squash, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, or collard greens. You can also try other root vegetables such as turnip, kohlrabi, or rutabaga.
• Other seasonings: Spruce up the flavor of your dumplings by adding dry herbs such as thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, or sage (or a combination of all of the above)! We use dried thyme in our vegan chicken and dumplings recipe.
• Other dumplings: Swap out the dumplings for other delicious alternatives like vegan sweet potato gnocchi, or for Asian flavors try vegan wontons or pot stickers.

Serving ideas

This soup is already a filling meal on its own, so you do not need any sides! However, to make your meal even more delicious, consider these serving ideas:

• With sides: Make your vegan dumplings soup more filling by serving your soup with a fresh, crisp salad or slice of sourdough bread.
• With toppings: To add additional flavor, top your soup with scallion or cilantro. Or, spice it up by topping your soup with chilies. A swirl of vegan spinach pesto can also kick it up a notch.

Equipment

• Cast-iron Dutch oven – We used a 3-quart / 2.8-liter enameled oven.
• Stockpot – Or any other heavy-bottomed pot if you do not have a Dutch oven.
• Potato ricer – This is another option to break up the potatoes for the dumplings.

Storing tips

Have leftovers or want to make batches of your vegan dumplings soup in advance? The good news is that you can easily store this soup in the refrigerator and the freezer. However, no matter where or how you choose to store your leftovers, it is crucial that you first let them cool down to room temperature!

• In the refrigerator: Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, move it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• In the freezer: Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, move it to a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to six months.
• Reheating: If refrigerated, reheat in a small saucepan over medium heat or the microwave. If frozen, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stove or microwave. We do not recommend reheating frozen soup as it will cause the dumplings to fall apart.

FAQs