Tomato Dumpling Soup

It has been a busy summer!  We did a few vacations this year, which we typically don't do, so between the vacations and trying to maintain our garden and yard, it has been interesting.  It has been great to spend time with family and especially our grandchildren...oops, does that tell you how old I am? 
Anyway, I decided to make this from all of our fresh tomatoes I have been harvesting.  I invested in a juicer and it definitely makes making tomato juice MUCH easier.  If you don't have access to fresh tomatoes, I usually use a large can of tomato juice.  It calls for milk, but if I have cream on hand, I sometimes use that instead of the milk.  Enjoy!

Tomato Dumpling Soup                                         

1 quart tomato juice
1-2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons flour
2-3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 batch of hard dumpling, cooked in boiling water

In stock pot, melt butter and cook onions and garlic until tender.  Mix in flour, making a roux.  Slowly add in the tomato juice, sugar, cloves, salt, pepper and milk, stirring until thickened.  Add dumplings and serve.  

 

Hard Dumplings                                                  

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups flour

½ cup milk

1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together.  Make a well in flour and add milk and egg.  Mix well.  Dough will be soft and wet.  Drop into boiling broth or water.  Cook a couple of minutes.