Recipe: MOTHER’S WONDERFUL VEGETABLE SOUP WITH DUMPLINGS

The Dumplings:
Depending on how many dumplings you want to add to the soup I will be very brief without giving you exact measurements, which I dislike to do anyway, as everybody has his or hers own idea.
Make a white roux by stirring wheat flour in melted butter over a low fire, add enough flour and little bits of water until you have a thick dough which sticks to the spoon. Flavour it with grated nutmeg and a bit of Maggi. Set aside.
The Soup:
Prepare in advance the following vegetables: a saucer of sliced leeks; a saucer of chopped onions; a saucer of cauliflower cut in “flowerettes”; a saucer of French beans cut in small pieces; a saucer of cubed potatoes; a cup of well done white beans; a saucer of cut up cabbage; half a saucer of cut up celery green; a saucer of finely cubed carrots; a saucer of Basil leaves (Bai Munglack or Bai Horapa); a saucer of cut up green asparagus and an opened can of sweet peas of good quality (not those awful seeds always used for stuffed omelettes). If you wish you can add other vegetables like gourd or some spinach or any other vegetable you fancy but no tomatoes.
Heat three tablespoons of olive oil or another vegetable oil and sauté the leeks and the onions until they are transparent and limp. Add water, the carrots and the asparagus a dash of thyme, Rosemary and a piece of mace. After this has cooked for about ten minutes add the French beans and the potatoes. When the potatoes are almost done, add all the other in-gredients except the peas. Bring it briefly to a boil again and add Maggi and salt to taste.
Bring to a boil and add with two spoons (that’s what mother did) the dumplings, by taking a bit on one spoon and transferring it several times from one spoon to another until round and drop them in the soup. When all the dough is added wait until the dumplings come floating to the top, add the sweet peas and the juice in the can, bring to a boil again and serve with some fresh pieces of French “Baguette” on the side!