There’s a reason why the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series has such a tremendous following, and it’s not just because they’ve created a version for virtually every segment of the population (think: Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Pre-teen’s Soul – you get the picture!). They’ve been successful not just because the stories in them are uplifting, but because they’ve likened the stories to something all of us can relate to – the comfort of a steaming bowl of soup.
I’m sure to be on the receiving end of some ribbing by my fellow SacFoodies for drawing a comparison between a book and a bowl of soup (hey, in my world, everything circles back to books!). But this recipe for wasabi dumpling soup is worth it! It’s from the Weight Watchers cookbook Now & Later: 160 Hearty Recipes that Turn One Meal into Two. It’s been languishing on my cookbook shelf for a while, but over the holidays I pulled it out and was impressed with the variety and simplicity of the recipes, not to mention the nod to healthy cooking.
My family loved this soup, especially the tasty wontons and flavorful broth. Next time I make it, I might experiment with baby spinach instead of bok choy for a greater nutrient boost. This recipe also contains part of the second-day recipe for Asian-Style Burgers, which were pretty darn tasty. (If you’re a burger lover, I highly recommend getting this cookbook and making them.)
If you’re inspired to create some real soup for your own soul, plan to whip up this delicious one while it’s still cold out.
Wasabi Dumpling Soup
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4, plus leftovers
Ingredients:
1 ¼ lbs. ground skinless turkey breast
6 scallions, finely chopped
3 T. low-sodium soy sauce
2 T. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 T. wasabi powder
2 tsp. Asian (dark) sesame oil
16 (3-inch) square wonton wrappers
1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth
¼ lb. baby bok choy, chopped
1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained
Directions:
- Mix the turkey, scallions, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the ginger, wasabi powder and oil in a medium bowl just until blended. Transfer two cups of the turkey mixture to a container. Cover and refrigerate up to two days for later use in Asian-Style Burger recipe.
- Arrange 8 wonton wrappers on a work surface. Place 1 teaspoon of the remaining turkey mixture in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges of each wrapper with water and pull one of the top corners diagonally over the filling to make a triangle. Press the edges frimly to seal. Lace the filled dumplings on a baking sheet and cover with damp paper towels. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers making a total of 16 dumplings.
- Meanwhile, bring the broth and the remaining 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of ginger to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Add the dumplings, bok choy and bamboo shoots to the broth mixture. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dumplings are cooked through and the bok choy is tender, about 10 minutes.
Per serving (1 cup soup with 4 dumplings): 185 calories, 3 g Fat, 2 g Fiber, 16 g protein (4 Points)
Cullen says
Great summer idea .maybe it’s bescaue I don’t/can’t follow recipes .rice wine vinegar/lemon juice instead of distilled/lime greek yogurt, and no wasabi ..and pureed everything in processor yummmy ..next day used it for salad dressing!