When I was a kid I always loved my mum’s delicious dumplings on top of stews and chicken soup – they’re such a warm and cozy comfort food-ish kind of thing.
I think they taste great on casseroles too, especially rich, tomatoey ones like this one. I like to use my Thermomix to prepare casseroles – the baking time is greatly reduced, which saves electricity (or gas), and the preparation time is much shorter too.
I made up this casserole a couple of days ago using sausages, and we all loved it. (You could use meat balls, diced steak, etc, instead of sausages, but it may change the cooking times.) The sauce is prepared and cooked in the Thermomix bowl, while the sausages steam on top in the Varoma, then it’s placed in a casserole dish, the dumplings are prepared in the Thermomix, dropped on top, and it goes in the oven and cooks in no time. Hope ya like it!
Note: You can find fine sea salt, Aussie pepper and Organic Garlic for this recipe in my online store!
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves
- 2 carrots, quartered
- 1 celery stick, quartered
- 1 red capsicum, halved
- 1 Tblspn sweet paprika, ground
- 30g olive oil or butter
- 400g tomatoes, halved
- 2 Tblspns (or so) tomato paste
- 1 Tblspn vege stock paste
- 2 Tblspns balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tblspn Rapadura
- 200g water
- 700g thin beef sausages
- Place onion, garlic cloves, carrots, celery stick, red capsicum in Thermomix and chop on speed 5 for 3 seconds.
- Add paprika, oil or butter and cook at 100 degrees, 4 minutes, speed 1.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vege stock paste, balsamic vinegar, Rapadura and water to bowl & chop on speed 5 for 5 seconds.
- Place beef sausages Varoma on lid of bowl and place sausages inside.
- Cook on Varoma temperature for 20 minutes, reverse speed 1, or until sausages are cooked through.
- Cut sausages in quarters and remove to a large casserole dish. Pour sauce over sausages and cover with lid or foil. (Casserole shouldn't come above halfway up sides of dish, or it may overflow, like mine did!) Turn on oven to 200 degrees C and place casserole dish in oven while you make the dumplings. (Rinse and dry Thermomix bowl.)
- 200g spelt grain
- a large handful of fresh parsley
- 100g white spelt flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 180g rice-almond milk (or other milk)
- 60g oil (olive/macadamia/grapeseed)
- Grind grain in Thermomix bowl for 1 minute, speed 9.
- Add fresh parsley and process on speed 9 for 10 seconds.
- Add spelt flour, baking powder, fine sea salt and mix for 5 seconds, speed 5.
- Add rice-almond milk, oil and mix on speed 5 until just mixed.
- Take casserole out of oven and drop heaped tablespoonfuls of dough onto top (using a tablespoon and butter knife), cover with lid (or loosely with foil), making sure there's room for dumplings to rise, and return to oven.
- Cook for 20 minutes then remove lid/foil and cook until done and lightly browned on top. (Pull two dumplings apart in center with forks to check if done.)
Enjoy!
(Oops, a little too full!)
Jo, was wondering what to cook tonight when this recipe appeared in my inbox.
Absolutely delicious. The flavours of the balsamic vinegar and paprika were amazing. So hearty and satisfying. DH says it made him feel like a little kid as it took him back to his childhood – wholesome country cooking.
Made enough for 2 meals for us, so one’s going in the freezer for when I have to work late.
So glad you liked it, Cathy 🙂 Dumplings = comfort food for me!!
Gosh I love the sound of this recipe. A nice step to cook the dumplings in the oven too. As much as I love my varoma, steamed dumplings just aren’t the same. 🙂
Yum, love the idea of adding dumplings to the mix – everyone loves dumplings!
I’ve just pulled this out of the oven, smells great. My first ever attempt at dumplings seems to have worked, though I think I was a little heavy handed with the parsley, my dumplings are “Shrek” green! Hopefully this’ll be a hit with the kids.
Thanks for another great recipe Jo
Thank you Jo i really wanted to try this
Hi Jo, is there a gluten free alternative for the spelt flour?thank you for your wonderful blog.
Hi Jo. My hubby made this tonight with veggie sausages – YUM!
looks fab!! can I just use SR flour as I don’t have spelt? easy simple ingredients. looking forward to trying it! xx
Wow! I was very skeptical whilst making this. I’d never made anything like it before (dumplings? Steamed sausages? What madness!). But I trusted Jo- everything else I’ve made of hers has been great- and I’m glad I did. It was great. Even the dumplings turned out well when I didn’t have half the ingredients. I used normal SR flour, rice milk, salt and macadamia oil. That’s it. The sausages I used where not the healthiest stuff but I think next time I’ll just replace those with some chicken. It’s a keeper.
Hi there, did you use the quantities as the recipe says for the dumplings? I don’t have half of these ingredients also. Thanks in advance!
I just wanted to thank you for all the love you have put into creating these recipes. I loved this meal so much its ridiculous. Thank you
Hi I would like to make this tomorrow but was wondering if I can use (wheat) plain flour or self raising flour instead of “spelt grain” and is it still 200g ?
I assume I can substitute spelt flour for wheat flour 100g ?
Thank you
You can sub wheat for spelt, just use a little less as wheat is drier than spelt.
This is my kids family favourite now. Absolutely love it!
Hi Jo, any chance you could do a conventional cooking method for those that don’t have a thermomix? I am trying an adapted version today and will see how it goes 🙂
Hi Jo, just wondering if there is a GF alternative for the dumplings?
Yes I was also wondering if you have a GF version for dumplings?
Hi Jo. I am wanting to make this dish but I am having trouble finding spelt grain. I have spelt flour. Can you recommend a substitute please? I don’t really want to use spelt flour and then normal wheat if possible. GF would be great if there is an alternative to try.
You’ll be able to find it in any health food shop or you can use wheat flour if you tolerate it.
Hi Jo. Firstly I just wanted to say how amazing your recipes are and THANK YOU! I want to make these dumplings for my husband but he cannot eat spelt flour. He is FODMAP mostly with a few more restrictions! My question is I want to make these with quinoa flour would I need to adjust the amount of flour/ liquids?