Miso Broth with Shrimp Dumplings

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Miso Broth with Shrimp Dumplings is a simple, nourishing soup that takes just minutes to make. Want to know a little secret to great low calorie eating in cold weather? … Soup!   It’s the only diet secret I know, and when I need to lose a few pounds, I start making soup, and then I eat it like crazy.  This Miso Broth with Shrimp Dumplings looks deceptively simple,  but there are plenty of flavors swirling around in there to keep things interesting.  The dumplings are easy to make, and even though they’re delicate, they are still very satisfying, whether you eat this soup as a first course or a light meal.  Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, but it can also be made from grains like barley or rice.  Its unusual earthy flavor and long list of nutritional qualities makes it well worth keeping in your fridge.  It comes in plastic tubs in the refrigerated section of your grocery store and will keep for a very long time at home.  A couple of tablespoons of the paste dissolved in simmering water make an instant soup base, and a nice change from chicken or beef stock.  It’s best …

Ingredients

• miso broth
• 6 cups chicken broth, water, or a combination of both
• 2 tbsp miso paste
• about 12 button mushroom, trimmed and sliced
• parsley for garnish
• shrimp dumplings
• ½ pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and rough chopped
• 1 large garlic clove (rough chopped)
• a few sprigs of parsley or cilantro for color (optional)
• 3½ inch round gyoza (potsticker) wrappers

Method

1. To make the dumplings, rinse and dry the shrimp and put it in the bowl of a food processor along with the garlic and ginger. Add a few sprigs of parsley or cilantro if you like for color. Pulse the machine about 20 times, or until everything is combined but still has some texture.
2. Scoop a small ball of the shrimp onto the center of each dumpling wrapper. Dip your finger in water and run it around the edge of the wrapper, and then fold it in half, over the paste. Press the edges together securely.
3. If you would like to freeze some of the dumplings, lay them out flat on a tray and put it in the freezer until the dumplings are frozen solid. Then you can put them in a zip lock freezer bag.
4. To make the broth, heat the water or stock in a saucepan until simmering. Add the mushrooms and dumplings and cook just gently for a couple of minutes.
5. Take off the heat and add the parsley and stir in the miso.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island