Clear Veggie Soup with Semolina Dumplings
This clear veggie soup with semolina dumplings is a light, brothy vegetable soup served with soft, fluffy semolina dumplings poached separately and dropped in just before serving. It is the kind of nourishing, easy comfort food you want on a chilly evening or when someone in the house is under the weather, and the dumplings keep the broth beautifully clear instead of cloudy.
This soup is a cherished part of my childhood. My mom and grandma always regarded it as a healing elixir, and it never failed to lift my spirits and restore my energy, particularly after a playful romp outdoors or during bouts of illness. To this day it is the bowl I reach for when I want something gentle, warming and uncomplicated.
What goes into this soup
The ingredient list is short and forgiving. For the broth you only need carrots, potatoes and an onion simmered in salted water with a little oil. The onion goes in whole-ish (cut in chunks) so it perfumes the broth and then gets fished out, leaving a clean, sweet vegetable base. Carrots and potatoes give the soup its body and earthy sweetness.
The dumplings are just semolina flour, eggs, a little oil and salt. Use a fine to medium semolina (the same kind you would use for a savory semolina pudding or a semolina cake) so the dumplings set tender rather than gritty. And do not skip the parsley. Add it generously at the end, since a big handful of freshly chopped parsley is what makes the whole bowl taste fresh and bright.
How to make perfect semolina dumplings
The dumplings are the part that intimidates people, but they come together with two simple habits. First, whisk the egg whites until foamy before adding the yolks and salt. That bit of air is what makes the dumplings light and fluffy instead of dense. Then sprinkle in the semolina one tablespoon at a time, mixing as you go, so you can feel the dough come together gradually.
Consistency is everything here. The dough should be just right, not too thick and not too creamy. Around 10 tablespoons of semolina suits 2 medium eggs, but eggs vary, so add the last spoonfuls by feel. A final teaspoon of oil mixed in keeps the dumplings from drying out. The other trick: dip your spoon in a glass of cold water before scooping each dumpling, so the mixture slides off cleanly instead of sticking. One level tablespoon equals one dumpling.
Why boiling the dumplings separately keeps the soup clear
This is the single most important step. The dumplings must be boiled in their own pot of water, never directly in the soup. As the semolina cooks, it releases starch into the cooking water, and if you poach the dumplings in the soup itself that starch turns the broth thick and cloudy. Cooking them apart lets you discard that starchy water and add clean, set dumplings to a broth that stays clear.
One more detail makes a real difference: the water has to be still when each dumpling goes in. A rolling, bubbling boil will batter the soft mixture and break it apart before it sets. Add a splash of cold water to calm the pot each time before you drop in a dumpling, then cover and let them poach gently for 8 to 10 minutes over low heat. They are done when they have puffed up and float, firm to the touch but still tender inside.
Tips for getting it right
- Boil the vegetables until a fork slides easily into the potato, about 20 minutes, so the broth has time to take on their sweetness.
- Whisk the whites first. Skipping the foamy stage is the most common reason dumplings turn out heavy.
- Test one dumpling before committing the whole batch. If it falls apart, work in another spoonful of semolina; if it is too firm, you have added a touch too much.
- Keep the heat low while the dumplings poach. A gentle simmer sets them evenly, a hard boil tears them.
- Add the cooked dumplings to the soup just before serving so they stay fluffy and do not soak up all the broth.
What to serve with it
This is a light soup, so it plays well as a starter before something more substantial, or as a full meal with good bread on the side. A warm slice of homemade lipie flatbread is perfect for mopping up the broth. If you are building a cozy soup rotation, it sits nicely alongside a cream of potato and carrot soup or a heartier vegan red lentil soup for the days you want something more filling.
Storing and making it ahead
The broth keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a covered container, and it actually tastes a little rounder on day two once the flavors settle. For the best texture, store the dumplings and the broth separately if you can, since dumplings left sitting in liquid will keep absorbing it and turn soft. To reheat, warm the broth gently on the stovetop and add the dumplings just long enough to heat through.
If you love this style of cooking, the same gentle dumpling technique shows up in our Hungarian plum dumplings, and for another comforting bowl on a cold day try the hearty veggie soup made for cold winter days.
If you make this soup, I would love to know how your dumplings turned out. Please rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me whether you nailed that just-right dough consistency on the first try, or any little tweak you made to make it your own.
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Clear Veggie Soup with Semolina Dumplings
Ingredients
Semolina dumplings
- 2 eggs
- 10 tbsp semolina flour
- 2 tsp oil
- salt to taste
Clear Veggie Soup
- 2 carrots sliced or cut in chunks
- 2 potatoes cubed
- 1 onion cut in chunks
- parsley LOTS! for garnish
- ground pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
For clear veggie soup:
- Fill a pot with water and add carrots, potatoes, onion, sea salt and oil. Let them boil until tender, for about 20 minutes.
- Remove onion.
For semolina dumplings:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy.
- Add egg yolks and a pinch of sea salt and mix.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp of semolina at a time and mix well until you’ve incorporated almost all semolina.
- Here’s the trick! You have to check the dough’s consistency. It has to be just perfect, not too thick and not too creamy (I think that 10 tbsp are just right for 2 medium eggs).
- Add 1 tsp of oil and mix well.
- In a large pot, add water and bring it to a boiling point.
- Fill one glass with cold water and keep it aside.
- Dip the spoon in the glass of cold water every time before using it to create the semolina dumplings. 1 semolina dumpling = 1 tablespoon
- Take 1 tbsp of dumpling mixture and place it carefully in the boiling water.
- After you finished adding all semolina dumplings in the pot, add some more cold water so it won’t be bubbly.
- Cover with a lid and let them boil for 8-10 minutes, over low heat.
- When the semolina dumplings are ready, place them in the veggie soup.
- Garnish with lots of fresh parsley!
Notes
VERY IMPORTANT! When adding the semolina dumplings in the boiling water, the water must be still; in order to be this way you will have to add some cold water each time before adding the dumpling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Semolina releases starch as it cooks, and if you poach the dumplings directly in the soup that starch turns the broth thick and cloudy. Boiling them in their own pot of water lets you discard the starchy cooking water and add clean, set dumplings to a broth that stays clear. This is the single most important step for a clear veggie soup.
Make sure the water is still, not bubbling, each time you drop in a dumpling, since a rolling boil will batter the soft mixture before it sets. Add a splash of cold water to calm the pot before adding each one, then cover and poach gently over low heat. Whisking the egg whites until foamy first also helps the dumplings hold together and stay light.
About 10 tablespoons of semolina suits 2 medium eggs, but eggs vary, so add the last spoonfuls by feel. The dough should be just right, not too thick and not too creamy. Test one dumpling before committing the whole batch: if it falls apart add a little more semolina, and if it is too firm you have added a touch too much.
No. The dumplings are made with eggs, so this recipe is vegetarian rather than vegan. The broth itself, made from carrots, potatoes, onion, water and oil, is plant-based, but the eggs in the dumplings are what give them their light, fluffy texture.
The broth keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a covered container and often tastes rounder on the second day. For the best texture, store the dumplings separately from the broth, since dumplings left sitting in liquid keep absorbing it and turn soft. Reheat the broth gently and add the dumplings just long enough to warm through.
It is light enough to serve as a starter or as a full meal with bread on the side. A warm slice of homemade lipie flatbread is perfect for mopping up the broth, and it pairs well with heartier bowls like a cream of potato and carrot soup or a vegan red lentil soup when you want something more filling.
Perfect fluffy dumplings! Thank you!
This is one of my favorite soups ever and your recipe turned out just perfect!!! Many thanks for sharing this!
Glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Nu confundati vegetariani cu vegani.in galusti a.ti pus oua.
Mihaela, acesta este un blog vegetarian. Da, am numeroase retete vegane pe el, dar aceasta nu este una dintre ele.
Instead of potatoes u can add celery if u like 🙂
Great idea! I was actually thinking about eliminating potatoes form my diet, or at least reducing their consumption. I will do that next time 😀
Absolutely, incredibly tasty ….. what’s more, the dumplings were perfect ! 😀 need to cook more, that’s for sure…. 😀
Thank you Mihaela! Glad you liked it 😀
This soup is my favourite, too!Just that in Ardeal (Romania) is prepared without potatoes.
Yes I think the original recipe was without potatoes. My grandma is from Ardeal and used to cook it like that.
I like soups as filling as possible as I usually only eat soups for lunch and I don’t want to remain with a hungry feeling after, so that’s why I tend to add more veggies 🙂
Great blog!
This looks and sounds delicious nice instructions!