Who in their right mind makes hot soup on a 95° summer day? OK, so maybe I didn’t have all of my faculties in order when planning this meal, but I did have the ingredients on hand (other than the baby bok choy, that is), and thought why not? There is scientific reasoning behind my madness, so stay with me.
Though it’s counter-intuitive, when you eat hot food, your body’s receptors notice. They relay the hotness to the brain, which in turn signals your body’s systems to cool down—you start sweating as a result. As your sweat evaporates, it cools your body down. Did you ever notice, people in countries with warm climates like India often eat very hot, spicy foods? Just sayin’…
This brightly flavored Turmeric-Ginger Dumpling Soup is ready in no time, thanks to prepared dumplings (our bag was 50% more at 1 1/2 lbs.). With plenty of homemade chicken stock, a bag of frozen pork/vegetable dumplings, lemons, scallions and all of the herbs and spices—plus only 20 minutes of my time—I was stoked to whip up this quick, tasty recipe from Fine Cooking’s “Make It Tonight” series.
Baby bok choy (shown cut in half above ) can vary in size from the length of your index finger to the length of your hand; in the end, you’re looking to have pieces that are 2 inches long, so trim accordingly. Make sure to rinse really well, because a lot of grit can lodge itself within the leaves.
We topped ours with both a drizzle of Sriracha and soy sauce, which, along with the spicy pork dumplings, provided an extra jolt. You of course may want to tame things a tad and select a milder dumpling, and omit the Sriracha.
Yes, I would jump on this train again…
Turmeric-Ginger Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 8 1/8-inch-thick peeled slices fresh ginger, smashed
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
- 2 quarts lower-salt chicken broth
- 4 3/4-inch-wide strips lemon zest
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb. frozen Asian meat or vegetable dumplings
- 1 lb. baby or Shanghai bok choy, halved through the stem or quartered if large and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
- 1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
- Asian sesame oil, Sriracha, or soy sauce, for serving
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and turmeric, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover, bring to a boil, and add the dumplings. Return to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directs.
- Add the bok choy, and continue cooking until the dumplings are cooked through and the bok choy is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes total.
- Stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with the scallions, and serve with a drizzle of sesame oil, Sriracha, or soy sauce.
Accounting for Taste 