That’s right, Vegan Noodle Dumplings, a twist on an old favorite (Chicken and Dumplings) that even meat-eaters will love! Don’t confuse the title with noodles and dumplings, this soft-yet-firm pasta is somewhere in between the two; and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this tasty little dish.

(Bare with my oblong artwork, I have a broken finger that’s on the mend!)

Noodles have been around for ages, and the origins of the noodle is still up for debate. However, recent evidence suggests that the Chinese might have been the first to chow down on a bowl of hot pasta. One thing is for sure, many connoisseurs religiously believe that every good noodle absolutely must contain egg – and this is simply not true! In the coming months I will show you many pasta recipes that do not require egg; in fact, the addition of egg would ruin it, not to mention your health.

Almost everyone knows what a dumpling is. What some Westerners might be surprised to learn is that the Chinese may also be responsible for creating these beloved dough balls (pdf). They can be used in many ways, such as fried, stuffed and stewed. My personal favorite for dumplings is savory; I love for them to soak up the flavor of what they are being cooked with, and gently co-exist with it, bringing a nice meaty texture to the whole ensemble.

Vegan Noodle Dumplings

Ingredients:

*3 cups of Unbleached White Flour
*16 oz. Vegetable Broth
*4 tbsp. Unsweetened Applesauce (no additives)
*1/2 cup Vegan Margarine
*Heaping teaspoon of organic, unbleached sugar
*Thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder on hand.
*Extra flour for rolling dough

Supplies:

*Large bowl
*Wooden spoon (I like wooden for dough; you can use metal if you desire.)
*Measuring cup
*Rolling pin, broom handle or something similar
*Strainer
*Large pot

Personally, I prefer Smart Balance Light as the vegan butter. It has a wonderful flavor, soft texture, and is available in most grocery stores in several countries.


Dough Preparation:

Don’t be frightened! Roll up those sleeves – we are making these pasta-dumplings from scratch! You’re even going to learn to ‘wing it’, that’s the way my grandmother taught me and that’s what makes a good cook: the ability to judge without relying too heavily on measuring cups and spoons.

Take your flour and pour it into the bowl, adding a dash of salt and sugar (about a teaspoon each.) Make a well in the center. In that well, drop the applesauce and mix around with the spoon. Once that’s done, you’re going to take some of the vegetable broth and wet the flour, working it with your hands. You only want it wet enough to make a nice, stiff dough that isn’t too sticky, so be sparing with it. If you get it too wet, don’t fret! Just add a dash more flour until you get the stickiness out.

(The next part is for rolling and slicing the dough into pasta – if you have a pasta machine, you may use that instead and skip down to boiling and sauce prep.)

Once you have the dough ball formed, place it on a lightly floured surface. You’re going to want to flour up your rolling pin too, and it might be easier for you to tear the ball into smaller balls and roll them out as flat as you can – you have to really work it! If you think it’s flat enough, flatten it more.

 

To make the pasta strands, you’re going to want to roll up the dough (think “Pumpkin Roll” or “Cinnamon Bun”, or even the way you might roll a newspaper – see image above). Take a sharp knife and cut across the roll, slicing thinly, and once you’ve cut it in slices all the way down, unroll your pasta – voila! You have strands of pasta ready for drying or cooking.


Boiling and Sauce Preparation:

Set out your pot and fill it with water, let the water come to a rolling boil. Put the pasta in and allow it to cook on medium heat for 8 to 15 minutes. Once they are al dente, you’re going to want to strain and rinse them with lukewarm water.

Take the large pot now, and fill it with the remaining vegetable stock. Let it come to a simmer, and add the vegan margarine. Once that’s all melted together, you’re going to want to add the spices. To me, Thyme and Pepper make this dish. Add about a tablespoon of Thyme, and one to two Tablespoons of pepper. Also put in a few dashes of salt, garlic powder, and onion powder – even garlic salt and oregano, if you have it on hand. Allow it to simmer for another thirty seconds, stirring it all up, and then pour in your drained and rinsed noodle-dumplings.

Stir thoroughly and serve! As you get a feel for this dish, you may choose to make more sauce, some people may like it to be more like a soup, while others more like a pasta.

Serves: 3 to 4


Every weekend I’ll present you with a new dish, complete with custom illustrations – I hope you’ll join me and learn how to make wonderful, simple vegan meals. Most of my recipes use very basic ingredients, ones you can usually find at any grocer – vegan cooking needs a little simplicity!


Cheers & Happy Eating,
Amber Finch