Asian Dumpling Soup

I think I've gotten pretty adept at one-handed cooking over the past week. I have trouble opening jars and washing dishes (heh!), but I'm okay with chopping, mixing (left-handed) and a bunch of other things. Not quite up to kneading, but I'll get there. I took the wrist brace off after a week, and immediately over-used it by cleaning the house. So...it's back on. And Alex only said "I told you so" once. Under his breath, bless his heart.

Last night's dinner was a wonderful find in my favorite magazine, Real Simple. Alex and I have been on a vegetarian dumpling kick for the past few weeks and I picked up a bag of frozen Thai Dumplings from Trader Joes with the intention of just serving them plain one day as a snack. However, this soup is a much better use of these yummy guys. I would eventually love to make my own dumplings, but I'm not quite up to that challenge yet. Hmmmm...maybe that's what I'll pick for my round of Daring Bakers?

This soup is a great one-pot recipe, super easy to do in about 25 minutes. Filling, yet light, with great Asian flavors from the ginger, soy sauce and scallions, and it's packed with good vegetables. The original recipe called for watercress, but I couldn't find it. I used baby spinach instead, which tasted just fine. The only change I would made next time is to either chop or grate the ginger. I didn't like biting into a mouthful to get a crunchy slice of ginger - it's pretty overwhelming!

Ingredients:

2 32-oz containers of low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable)

1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thin (or 1 inch, grated/minced fine)

1 16-oz package of frozen pot sticker dumplings or Japanese gyoza

2 carrots, halved and sliced

4-8 oz mushrooms, sliced

2 cups frozen shelled edamame

1 bunch watercress, stems removed, about 3 cups total

1 TBS low-sodium soy sauce

Kosher salt (optional)

4 scallions, sliced

Instructions:

In a large soup pot, bring broth and ginger to a boil. Add the dumplings and carrots, and simmer until just tender, 8-10 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and edamame, and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in watercress and soy sauce. Taste before adding the salt, and season if necessary. Ours didn't need any. Sprinkle with scallions before serving.