Dumplings for Soups and Stews

By very popular request, in our cookbook, The KETO Soup Bowl, there is an awesome recipe for Chicken and Dumplings. Except the Dumplings part is not in the cookbook. Instead, it’s here. That’s because it’s a work in progress. They’re great dumplings, but the process of making them is a little finicky, and instead of putting it in the cookbook where I couldn’t update it, I am putting it here so you can always know you are getting the latest, greatest version as I improve and refine it for you.

The part that is finicky is the timing. I found that the timing was critical, so I highly recommend that you walk yourself through the recipe before you start so that you have everything at the right point at the same time. In short, you need to have the soup or stew at a rolling boil at the same time the dumplings have been rested for exactly 15 minutes.

Don’t mix the dry and wet ingredients together until you are ready to focus on immediately mixing the dough and rolling the dumplings. The dough takes barely a couple of minutes to mix, and then you divide it into 12 and quickly roll each piece into a ball. You then rest the dumplings for exactly 15 minutes, at which point the soup or stew needs to be at a rolling boil so that you can drop the dumplings in. I recommend using a slotted spoon to lower them in so you don’t splash hot liquid all over yourself.

If you do not rest the dumplings for 15 minutes, they will explode and fall apart in the hot liquid. Don’t ask me how I know this. Let me just say, the first time it happened it was super fun, and I laughed like a hyena, scaring the ‘kids’ in the process.

If you let them rest too long they will not puff up in the hot liquid and will be very stodgy.

15 minutes resting time is critical.

As soon as you have spooned the dumplings into the boiling liquid, reduce the heat to low, otherwise the dumplings will get too battered about. Also, put the lid on, set the timer for 10 minutes, and DO NOT LIFT THE LID.

The good news is, if you have to have a couple of goes at these before you get them right, you are not wasting a huge amount of ingredients. I suggest, if you are a little nervous about ruining the soup when you drop them in, that you drop the dumplings into a pan of boiling water instead of the soup, cook them in the water, and then spoon them into the soup to serve once they are cooked. That way, if they do explode or fall apart you can just make another batch and not have soup full of exploded dumplings.

I also highly recommend using a timer for the resting and cooking, because our minds are very good at playing tricks on us when it comes to time.

One final word: if you’re looking at the quantities in the recipe and thinking. ‘There’s no way that’s going to make 12 dumplings!”, it does. I’ve done it multiple times. The capacity of konjac flour to swell is quite remarkable. Trust me. 12 dumplings shall be yours.

Now, off you go! Have fun!

Dumplings for Soups and Stews

Author: Carrie Brown | Prep time:  20 mins (incl. rest)   |   Cook time:  10 mins    |   Total time:  30 mins   |   Serves: 4 – 6

What You Need

• 1 oz. / 30g almond flour
• pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3 TBSP konjac flour / glucomannan powder  (Yes. That’s THREE TABLESPOONS)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP / 2 fl oz. + 2 TBSP water

What You Do

1. Read through the instructions above and below the photos. before you start! Please!
2. Place the almond flour, sea salt, baking powder, and konjac flour into a bowl and stir until completely mixed.
3. In a small jug whisk together the eggs and water well.
4. Pour the whisked liquid into the dry ingredients and stir very well until thoroughly combined into a dough.
5. Quickly divide into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece in your hands to make balls.
6. Leave to rest for 15 minutes BUT NO MORE.
7. With your soup or stew at a rolling boil, spoon the dumplings into the boiling liquid and then immediately turn the heat to low so it’s at a simmer. OR, until you are comfortable with the process: bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and spoon the dumplings in there instead.
8. Cover the pan and cook for exactly 10 minutes – use a timer!
9. After 10 minutes turn the heat off and either serve your meal straight from the pan, or, if you cooked your dumplings in water, carefully spoon them into the soup or stew before serving.

Top Recipe Tips

• This recipe will be evolving as I continue to trial and refine it, to make it easier and less likely to fail.
• Until I have made it less finicky, please read through all the notes above and below the pictures before you start so you get a feel for the process.
• I am not lying when I say these are a little temperamental, but I tried them multiple times once I got the recipe to this point, and got a good result every time. The tricky part is the timing. If you do not let them rest long enough they will explode and fall apart in the hot liquid. If they rest too long they won’t puff up and will be stodgy. So the timing is critical, and I am working on refining the recipe to remove this timing issue.
• Check out the Ingredients Guide for information on ingredients.
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?

Helpful Cooking and Recipe Links

• Come laugh and learn with us over at The Kitchen Podcast
• Come hang out in The Keto Kitchen Facebook Group
• For more fantastic soup recipes grab a copy of our The KETO Soup Bowl Cookbook (available in both print and e-cookbook versions)
• For lots more great recipes check out our scrumptious cookbooks!

Podcast Episodes

• How and Why to Measure Food
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?