Pop This Frozen Ingredient In Your Soup And It'll Become A Whole Lot Heartier

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What better way to warm up on a chilly day than with a big pot of soup? Soothing, comforting, and delicious, there are nearly an endless number of recipes to choose from and plenty of ways to amp up the taste and texture with additional ingredients. Adding frozen dumplings to your next batch will totally change the way you make soups and stews. It's an effortless trick for an even heartier dish that can be used with a variety of different dumplings and styles of soup.

Per Tasting Table's research, using frozen dumplings is ideal for brothy soups to help bulk up the body and add more depth of flavor and consistency. In addition to the protein-rich fillings adding more nutrients to the soup, the starch from the dumpling wrappers also acts as a thickening agent. Of course, choosing your favorite brand of frozen dumplings is especially convenient as they will cook right in the soup without the need to be heated separately.

You can toss frozen dumplings into your boiling ramen for an easy, hearty meal, but it doesn't have to stop there. This clever frozen ingredient is perfect for plenty of soups and stews. The lighter the broth, the better. Let the flavors of your soup and the filling of your frozen dumplings complement one another.

Take a shortcut to traditional chicken kreplach with a frozen version of chicken dumplings to turn a basic batch of chicken soup into a mish-mosh style inspired by Jewish deli fare. Similarly, a portion of frozen ginger and chicken dumplings would make a wonderful addition to the flavors of a Filipino tinola for an even heartier meal. Even frozen vegetable dumplings will help to round out a thinner vegetable soup with more hefty and doughy ingredients.

Many frozen dumplings often lean into flavors of Asian cuisine. As such, soups like miso, hot and sour, wonton, and tom ka kai would also benefit from the addition of frozen dumplings. Take care with your ingredients and consider combinations of different fillings and flavors that, while contrasting, will still be complementary. For example, though the base of an egg drop soup is typically chicken-forward, you can elevate the tastes and textures with sweet and savory frozen beef bulgogi dumplings.

Adding these frozen ingredients to your soup is simple and effective. Make sure to stir in the frozen dumplings while the broth is boiling to let them fully warm up. Mix beef, chicken, and vegetable dumplings to elevate a plain soup to new heights of great taste.