Mushroom Soup with Dumplings

Potato and mushroom broth

1. It is best to make dumpling soup with porcini, since that gives a clear soup that doesn’t darken right at the start.

   If you are not making the broth from wild mushrooms, cook it a bit longer, 15-20 mins, because store-bought mushrooms are less aromatic. If you decide on vegetable broth, take carrot, broccoli, green vegetables, a small onion, and maybe parsnip and celery roots. Don’t use many spices, since they will mute the mushroom aroma.

2. Boil the potato until done, as for mashed potatoes, and let it cool a little. Choose a floury potato so that it mashes well. If you can, pour boiling water over a few chanterelles separately, and rinse them after 10 mins.

   

3. Make the mushroom broth. Clean the porcini of soil and pine needles and rinse well. Cut the mushrooms into small pieces, put them in a pot and cover with 1 l of cold water. Put the pot on the heat and simmer the mushrooms for 10-12 mins at a gentle boil. Then add the chanterelles and cook for another 2-3 mins. After that, lift the cooked mushroom pieces out and divide them among the bowls.

   

Dumpling dough

1. Make the dough. In a bowl, mix one egg with the milk. Add a little salt and plenty of pepper. Pull the leaves off the parsley sprigs and chop them finely with a knife, saving a little for serving. Add the chopped parsley to the egg mixture and mix well. Grate the potato on a fine grater or mash it, and add it to the bowl. Add the flour in small portions to make the dough. It should be neither runny nor stiff. In consistency it is closer to an overly thick batter.

   

   The dough must not run, but it should be very soft. When you drop a little into boiling water, it doesn’t spread out but cooks at once as a whole piece.

   

Cooking the dumplings

1. Salt the broth and bring it to a boil. Salt the soup right away and add spices to taste. A little ground black pepper is enough. Keep in mind that the dough already has some seasoning and salt. Bring the broth to a boil under a lid, then take the lid off.

2. Cook the dumplings. Scoop up some dough with one spoon and use another spoon to separate a bit, so that it drops straight into the boiling broth. Use about 1/2 tsp of dough per dumpling. Don’t make the pieces very big or very small. The dumplings sink, so stir them gently right away so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. As soon as the pieces of cooked dough float up, they are done. If you are not sure, cook them for 1-2 mins, but no longer.

   

Serving

1. Ladle the soup with dumplings into the prepared bowls that already have the mushrooms in them. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve at once.

   

   You can serve the soup with fresh bread or lavash, although many people think the dumplings are enough. The soup is very light and tasty, and we eat it with pleasure.