As the chilly winter weather takes hold in Sydney, my thoughts turn towards slowly simmering pots of bubbling soup. The delicious aroma that wafts through the house makes anyone who steps through the door feel welcome and cosy. Sure this sounds a little corny, but home cooked soup really has this affect on me and certainly on members of my family. Soup – especially a hearty variety like minestrone, dense spiced pumpkin, pea and ham or a chunky vegetable and barley – is a one-pot-wonder that not only makes preparation easier, but clean up so much faster. 

So with a basketful of fresh vegetables, a parcel of plump, pink veal cutlets in the fridge from Chilcott’s Butchery, and four litres of home made chicken stock in my freezer, I decided cook a satisfyingly healthy, flavoursome and hearty soup for this evening’s dinner. The successful result, judging by the small amount left in my mammoth pot, was a Wholesome Winter Soup with Semolina Dumplings and slabs of creamy baked ricotta purchased this morning at the Norton Street Grocer. 

This recipe is similar to my Hearty Veal and Vegetable Soup posted on May 22nd, with a few changes- vegetables are cut into a chunkier style, I have used carnaroli rice, added dumplings and ricotta, and cooked the lot on the stove top instead of in a slow oven. 

Wholesome Winter Soup with Semolina Dumplings and Baked Ricotta will generously serve 8 people. It is worth making a large batch even if cooking for a smaller number of people. This soup can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and individual portions warmed as needed. 

Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
25 g unsalted butter
1 x large brown onion
2 x cloves garlic 
2 x long sticks of celery, internal leaves included if still attached
3 – 4 large carrots
1 x large parsnip
2 x medium zucchini
3 x large pink skinned potatoes, peeled
300 grams stringless green beans
3/4 cup Napoletana sauce – I had just made up a batch to freeze and spooned some of this into the vegetables during the sauté process. You can also use a commercially made sauce, although home cooked tastes far better. 
2 heaped teaspoons sea salt
ground black pepper to taste
4 x chunky veal cutlets – cut the meat off each cutlet into pieces about 3 cm in size, reserve the bones to use in the soup.
1 heaped teaspoon of the following dried herbs in equal quantities – thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary.
4 litres chicken stock – home made is preferred but if unavailable substitute with a good commercial variety such as the Maggie Beer brand. 
1/2 cup short grain rice – I used Carnaroli because it holds its shape well
1 x portion semolina dumplings – see recipe below

Semolina Dumplings makes 20 small dumplings

Ingredients
1 x large egg beaten together with 1 tablespoon of full cream milk 
Add 1 cup of fine semolina 

Mix together with a fork until the mixture is combined and resembles thick, soft biscuit dough. You may need to add a splash more milk if needed. 

Drop teaspoonfuls into the simmering soup and after a minute, watch them float to the surface, golden and bobbing about waiting to be eaten. 

Back to the soup…

Wash and peel the vegetables then chop up using a sharp knife so that they are fairly chunky. Scrape into a large pot (I used my 5 litre stockpot) where about a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter have been heated over a low-medium heat. Add the Napoletana sauce, salt and pepper. Sauté for about 15 minutes until this mixture starts to look glossy and slightly softened. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the pot. 

Add the meat, including the bones, along with the dried herbs and chicken stock which will add an additional burst of flavour, especially if made with bay leaves. 

Bring to the boil, then simmer on a very low heat for 40 minutes. 

Add the rice and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add the dumplings which will cook in about 60 seconds. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. 

Ladle into deep bowls with plenty of dumplings and place a slab of baked ricotta on top. Serve with crusty bread.