Carrot Cream Soup With Cream Cheese Dumplings - Mo... Recipe

Directions:

1. For homemade vegetable stock:
2. Place leek in an 8- to 10-quart pan. Add onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, fennel, parsley, thyme, oregano, peppercorns, salt and enough water to cover vegetables (about 2 qt.). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, adding water as needed to keep vegetables barely covered.
3. Line a colander with a layer of cheesecloth (or use a large, fine wire strainer); set over a large bowl. Pour stock mixture into colander and drain vegetables well; discard vegetables. Reserve stock for use.
4. To make the Carrot Cream Soup:
5. Melt the butter in a 4 quart saucepan and sauté the onion for several minutes. Add the carrots and potato and cook for another 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add the lemon juice, wine, broth and a half teaspoon of sugar (optional) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
6. Make dumplings in the meantime.
7. To make the Cream Cheese Dumplings:
8. Bring a large pan of water to just under a boil.
9. Mix all dumpling ingredients in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. If the dough is too thin to form into dumplings, add more bread crumbs.
10. Using two teaspoons, form dumplings by taking about 1 tablespoon of dough in one teaspoon and using the second teaspoon to smooth the dumpling. If you transfer the dough several times between the two spoons, you will form a triangular egg shaped dumpling that is common in German cuisine. If you would rather, you may also just form smooth, round balls using your hands-but it looks way cooler to make quinelles ;-)
11. Drop the dumplings into the simmering water and cook for 3 - 5 minutes, or until done. Dumplings are done when they float to the surface and are firm all the way through. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain.
12. Puree the soup in a blender in 2 batches or with a hand blender (immersion blender) in the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
13. Ladle the soup into bowls. Place 3 dumplings in each bowl. Garnish with some chopped chives and serve hot.