Dumpling Dream: A Sweet and Sour Soup Adventure

Ingredients:

Roast Beets

1 1/2 pounds fresh beets (see NOTE)

Dumplings

1 1/2 cups white rice

2 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 pound ground chicken

3/4 cup finely chopped onion (from 1 small onion)

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Beet Stew

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup finely chopped onion (from 1 small onion)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

10 cups water

4 cups cooked white rice, warm

Preparation:

Roast the beets

- Preheat oven to 400�F.
- Scrub beets and wrap in aluminum foil. Place foil package on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. - - Unwrap beets and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
- Hold beets under running water and slide off beet skins with your fingers or a paring knife.
- Cut beets in half and slice into 1/2-inch half moons. (Beets can be roasted up to 3 days in advance and stored in refrigerator).

Make the Dumplings

- Meanwhile, place rice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer until cooked, about 15 minutes.
- Remove lid and let rice cool. Transfer rice to a food processor and pulse until rice forms a sticky paste, 12 to 15 pulses.

- Combine chicken, onion, cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Place a small bowl of water on the counter, and wet your fingers and palms.
- Rub oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Place a heaping teaspoon of rice paste in your palm and roll into a ball.
- Flatten rice between your fingers; the shell should be as thin as possible without tearing. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling in center of the rice circle. - Carefully pull sides up over filling and pinch to seal edges. Gently roll dumpling between your fingers and close any holes.
- Smooth dumpling and check to make sure there are no cracks.
- Place dumpling on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rice paste and chicken filling; you should have around 40 dumplings.

Finish the Soup

- Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Add onion and turmeric and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add lemon juice, sugar, salt, and water and bring to a boil.
- Add sliced beets, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes.

- Uncover pot and gently drop dumplings into soup. - Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer dumplings until cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Do not stir; dumplings are fragile and will break if disturbed. Taste stew; it should be tangy and a little sweet.
- Adjust flavors by adding more lemon juice, sugar, or salt as needed. Scoop 1/2 cup warm rice into each soup bowl and ladle soup and dumplings on top. - Serve immediately.

Note

- If you don’t want to cook the beets, buy them pre-cooked at a specialty grocery store or deli counter. - You can also cut the beets in half and boil them in water for an hour instead of roasting them. If you’re a fan of beet greens, chop them up and simmer them in the stew.

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