I went to the Viet Hoa Market to pick up wheat gluten, but found instead this Chicken flavored soy meat. It's kind of pricey, but I found it worth it since I wasn't feeling up to making seitan myself.
You can see, I got some ham style as well (I'm thinking of trying out a country fried steak).
Anyway, here is the finished product:
The broth is nice and creamy... and as a plus, I had a little too much dumpling dough leftover, so I baked it and the dough turned out to make a pretty decent, easy biscuit.
I'm excited to try and tweak the recipe so that they're just right, and eat them with apple butter or sorghum molasses.
Here is the recipe:
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups vegetable broth (I used veggie bullion)
Sauté the margarine, onion, and celery in a large soup pot. Add carrot and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the flour, salt, and pepper to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in the broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken, cut into bite size pieces.
Dumplings:
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup margarine
Mix the milk and vinegar and set aside for a few minutes. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the margarine until crumbly. Add the milk and vinegar and stir just until combined.
Drop the dough in spoonfuls into the broth. Cover the pot and reduce to simmer. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes, just until dumplings are cooked. Do not overcook.
Serves 6-8.
***on a side note, with so much soy butter being called for (and earth balance isn't cheap, y'all!) I do half earth balance, half vegetable ghee (CHEAP) that I get form the Indian market and cut them together. The ghee on it's own has NO flavor, so you wouldn't want to use that straight up, but it does make the E.B. go farther.
