Green Plantain Dumpling Soup Recipes

LENTIL SOUP WITH PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Cut 1 onion into chunks and the other into dice. Puree 6 of the garlic cloves and keep the remaining 5 whole. Place the cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, onion chunks and whole garlic cloves in the center of a medium square of cheesecloth. Tie the ends together to form a package. Place the fresh thyme in another square of cheesecloth and tie the ends together to enclose. In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine vegetable stock or water and the spice and herb packages, or dried thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for thirty minutes. Stir in lentils and continue cooking until they are cooked through but still firm, about 15 minutes. Strain the lentils, reserving the liquid and thyme bundle. In separate saucepan heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add plantains, carrots and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the plantains are soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pureed garlic and allspice and cook for 5 minutes longer, being careful not to scorch the garlic. Add the lentils, their reserved liquid and the thyme bundle. Bring to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, and remove the thyme bundle. Stir in half of the chopped cilantro. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro.

JAMAICAN DUMPLINGS WITH PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Add the flour, salt and baking powder to a food processor and pulse to combine. Toss in the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
• Add milk, a little bit at a time until it is completely worked into the dough. Once it comes together into a nice consistent ball and pulls away from the sides of the food processor, divide the dough into about 12 little balls. Push a slice of plantain into the middle of each ball and pinch the dough around the plantain so it is completely covered by the dough. Press each ball flat into a little cake, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before frying.
• Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Prick the dumplings all over with a fork. Working in batches, pan-fry dumplings until golden and slightly puffy, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Season with salt and serve warm.

GANDULES CON BOLITAS DE PLáTANO (PIGEON PEAS WITH PLANTAIN DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Prepare the gandules: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add sofrito and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and mixture darkens. Add gandules, vegetable stock, bay leaves and salt, and increase heat to high. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• While gandules are cooking, prepare the plantain dumplings: Grate or blend plantains in a food processor until smooth or shred them finely on a box grater. Put grated plantains in a medium bowl and add cumin, garlic powder, annatto and salt. Mix well with a fork to incorporate. The mixture will be thick and a little sticky, but the natural starch of the plantain will set up quickly.
• Return the gandules to a rolling simmer. Standing over the pot, scoop out about 1 tablespoon of plantain masa and put directly into the pot. The dumplings will rise immediately to the top. Repeat with the remaining masa, careful to avoid putting fresh dumplings on top of others, until you've used up all of the plantain masa, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking to one another.
• Once all the plantain dumplings have been added, lower heat and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring gently a few times. Remove from heat, and adjust salt to taste. Serve as a soup, accompanied by white rice, with avocado slices on the side.

CALDO DE BOLAS DE VERDE - GREEN PLANTAIN DUMPLING SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter over medium heat in a large pot, make a refrito or base for the broth by adding the diced onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, cumin, achiote, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Add the 10 cups of water/broth, the beef bones, the meat chunks, and plantains pieces.
• Bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Add the yuca pieces and continue simmering for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.
• Add the carrots, corn and cabbage, cook for another 15 minutes or until all the ingredients are fully cooked.
• Remove from the heat and let cool until safe to handle, then remove the bones from the broth and discard them.
• Remove the meat, carrots, corn and yucas from the broth, leave the plantains in the broth until ready to use them - keeping them in the broth will prevent them from drying out and make it easier to mash them.
• Remove the meat and chop it into very small pieces.
• Cut the cooked carrots into small pieces.
• Remove the strings from the yuca and cut them into small bite size pieces.
• Chop the cooked cabbage and cut the corn in smaller slices; reserve the corn, yuca and cabbage for later.
• To make the meat filling for the green banana balls or dumplings make a refrito or base by heating the butter or oil over medium heat, add the onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, cumin, achiote and salt.
• Add the chopped meat, carrots, peas and cilantro.
• Mix in the peanut butter and 4 tbs of the broth, as well as the raisins and hard boiled eggs if using, mix all the ingredients well and save the filling until needed.
• Meanwhile remove the plantains from the broth and mix them in the food processor until a sticky dough is obtained.
• Mix the cooked plantain dough with the grated raw plantains, the eggs and some salt and pepper, you can either mix these by hand or in the food processor.
• Using your hands, try to keep them wet, form the plantain dough into medium to large sized balls, stuff each one with a generous spoonful or two of the meat filling.
• Strain the broth and return to the heat until it boils, reduce to a simmer and add the dumplings, cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, be very careful not to stir the soup to avoid breaking the dumplings.
• Using a ladle remove the dumplings from the soup and place them on a plate.
• Add the chopped yuca, chopped cabbage, corn slices and any leftover filling back to the broth, cook until all the ingredients are re-warmed.
• Add the finely chopped cilantro to the broth.
• Place a green plantain dumpling or two in each bowl; add a ladleful of broth with yuca, cabbage and corn.
• Serve with lime slices, aji and pickled onions.

PIGEON PEA SOUP WITH PLANTAIN DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix plantains and 1/3 of the garlic until mixture forms soft dough. Roll into 18 balls, using about 1 Tbsp. of the plantain mixture for each.
• Heat oil in 8-qt. stockpot on medium heat. Add onions, peppers, 1/3 cup cilantro and remaining garlic; cook 5 min., stirring constantly. Stir in peas and tomato sauce; cook 1 min. Add water and bouillon; stir. Bring to boil. Add squash and plantain balls; cook 10 min.
• Add rice, ham and olives; stir. Simmer on medium-low heat 15 min. or until rice is tender. Serve topped with remaining cilantro.

GREEN PLANTAIN DUMPLING SOUP

Steps:

• 1. For the Beef Broth: Heat the oil or butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add the diced onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, cumin, achiote, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the 10 cups of broth, the beef bones, the meat chunks, and plantains pieces. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the yuca pieces and continue simmering for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add the carrots, corn and cabbage, cook for another 15 minutes or until all the ingredients are fully cooked. Remove from the heat and let cool until safe to handle, then remove the bones from the broth and discard them. Remove the meat, carrots, corn and yucas from the broth, leave the plantains in the broth until ready to use them - keeping them in the broth will prevent them from drying out and make it easier to mash them. Remove the meat and chop it into very small pieces. Cut the cooked carrots into small pieces. Remove the strings from the yuca and cut them into small bite size pieces. Chop the cooked cabbage and cut the corn in smaller slices; reserve the corn, yuca and cabbage for later.
• 2. For the beef filling: To make the meat filling for the green banana balls heat the butter or oil over medium heat, add the onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, cumin, achiote and salt. Add the chopped meat, carrots, peas and cilantro. Mix in the peanut butter and 4 tablespoons of the broth, as well as the raisins and hard boiled eggs. Mix all the ingredients well and save the filling until needed.
• 3. For the plantain dumplings: Meanwhile remove the plantains from the broth and mix them in the food processor until a sticky dough is obtained. Mix the cooked plantain dough with the grated raw plantains, the eggs and some salt and pepper, you can either mix these by hand or in the food processor. Using your hands, try to keep them wet or lightly greased, form the plantain dough into medium to large sized balls. Stuff each one with a generous spoonful or two of the meat filling.
• 4. For the final soup preparation: Strain the broth and return to the heat until it boils, reduce to a simmer and add the dumplings, cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Be very careful not to stir the soup to avoid breaking the dumplings. Using a ladle remove the dumplings from the soup and place them on a plate. Add the chopped yuca, chopped cabbage, corn slices and any leftover filling back to the broth, cook until all the ingredients are re-warmed. Add the finely chopped cilantro to the broth. Place a green plantain dumpling or two in each bowl; add a ladleful of broth with yuca, cabbage and corn. Serve with lime slices, aji and pickled onions.

SOUTHERN GREEN BEAN DUMPLING SOUP

Steps:

• In large pot/kettle mix water and bouillon cubes; add potatoes and green beans (draining is an option); bring to boil.
• For dumplings:.
• Mix together flour (1 1/2 cup) and eggs - adding enough water to make the dough sticky. Add dough to boiling water 1/2 T at a time (will float to top when done; reduce heat.
• For roue:.
• Brown flour (1 1/2 - 2 T) and Criso in small cast iron skillet; gradually add to liquid stirring until soup thickens to desired consistency.
• To complete:.
• Add whipping cream and pepper to taste; simmer until serve.