Poblano Chile Verde w/Cornmeal Dumplings
by Chef Heather Mader
Stew
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup carrot, bite sized pieces
1/2 cup celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint green tomatoes, diced (or tomatillos if you don't have green tomatoes)
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and minced
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
2 small potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 cans white hominy, drained
2 poblano chiles, fire roasted, peeled and chopped
Optional: couple Handfuls of chopped Kale
5 cups water (plus more if needed)
1 heaping tbsp Better than Bullion vegetable stock
1 tsp each oregano, cumin, coriander, garlic powder
splash tamari
dash white pepper
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Dumplings
1 cup unbleached white flour plus 2 tbsp
1/2 cup medium cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk (I used almond milk) mixed with 1 tbsp white vinegar (plus more if needed)
2 tbsp Myoko's vegan butter
Cilantro to serve
Instructions
1. In a soup pot, saute the onions until they are starting to brown, then all the other stew ingredients and stir together.
2. Simmer over medium heat, until the potatoes and turnips are softened but hold their shape. Add water if needed to make sure soup has a "broth" that covers the vegetables.
3. For the dumplings, stir the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and cut in the butter with a fork or two knives until it resembles small peas.
4. Stir in the milk. Combine with a fork until just moistened, adding more milk if needed. Do not over mix. Mixture will be lumpy.
5. Drop the mixture by tablespoonful into the simmering stew.
8. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking. The stew will thicken.
9. When the dumplings are done (they'll be firm and dry on the outside, wet on the bottom). You can be sure they are done by taking one of the biggest dumplings and cutting into it, making sure there is no raw dough inside.
10. At this point I usually fish out the dumplings, carefully, and stir the cilantro into the stew and check for sea salt and pepper.
10. When dumplings are done, serve each portion of stew with some dumplings and cilantro.