One-Pot Dumpling Soup

TikTok kept showing me the viral 1-pot dumpling bake and I thought it could easily be soup. ‘Tis the season for all the soups as lunch right now. Soup is the best since it is easy to make a little or a lot. I keep making a few servings, having them on hand to pack, and stashing one or two in the freezer for variety at a later date!

I loved this – it was flavor packed, so quick, and perfect to add some variety to my prepped meals.

Coconut Curry Dumpling Soup
Ingredients: (serves ~3)

~12 frozen dumplings
1 cup bell peppers chopped
1 can coconut milk
1 cup Red Curry Sauce (or 2 tablespoons red curry paste)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup broth

Directions:
In a medium/large pot, sear the dumplings on each side over medium heat, then remove them from the pot.
Add in the peppers to soften for ~3 minutes.
Still over medium heat, add in the coconut milk, red curry, soy sauce, sesame oil, broth/bouillon + water, and return the dumplings to the pot.
Cook for 5-10 minutes bringing it to a low simmer.

Taste and add water if too strong, or add more curry sauce if too mild.
Serve & enjoy!

No peppers? Swap for spinach, or broccoli, or carrots, or cabbage! Spice it up with chili flakes or chili crunch. Serve it over rice if soup gets tiresome.

This is also great reheated too. The TJ dumplings are easy to cut with just a spoon and the red curry and coconut flavors are so so good.

Gnocchi & Mushroom Soup

Soup is the perfect hands-off lunch to have at the ready. At a season when more veggies are needed, I was glad to throw this together and have a few servings ahead of me.

Creamed spinach was the quick ingredient for a light creaminess. This was brothy, yet filling, though creamed spinach could swap for cream of mushroom soup with baby spinach for a creamier version.

Gnocchi and Mushroom Soup
Ingredients:
(serves 3-4)
1/4 white onion
2 carrots
1-2 garlic
1 pint baby portabellas
1/2 cup white mushrooms
1 package creamed spinach
1/2 pound gnocchi
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Directions:
Chop the onions, carrots, and garlic to saute over medium heat in olive oil. Add in the sliced mushrooms.

Add in the frozen creamed spinach, broth, and gnocchi.
Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!
This keeps well and freezes too. It was perfect to drop everything in – even frozen and let it come together. I packed it for lunch knowing there are never enough veggies this season. My carrots were the saddest ever, but useful for soup.

Tortellini & Sausage Soup

I went a little spicy with this but this has room to make it as you wish! The broth has tons of flavor from tomatoes, wine and broth while tortellini, spinach, sausage add the texture. It is exactly what to eat when everyone is turkey-ed out.

Tortellini & Sausage Soup
Ingredients (serves ~4)

~12 oz sausage about 2/3 of a 16 oz package (~4 sausage links, casing removed) hot or sweet Italian
1 carrot, chopped
2 gloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups tortellini
1 bag of baby spinach

Directions:
In a heavy bottomed pan, saute the sausage over medium until cooked through and crisp. Remove from the pan and add the chopped carrot into the drippings to saute. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Add in the garlic and tomato paste giving it a stir, and stir well cooking for another 2 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour in and again, stir and cook through.
Add in the wine and stir well scraping the bits off the bottom.

Add in the tomatoes, chicken broth, and sausage to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Lastly, pour in the tortellini and spinach. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir well and cook for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with parmesan to serve. Enjoy!

I loved the little bit of heat. The broth is perfect – it is tomato-y but the wine and chicken broth make it soup, not marinara sauce. This would be a good one to make in advance and just add the tortellini it when ready to serve it.

Black Bean Soup

This soup is so so easy and comes together quickly. It is a great weeknight dinner and a great one for anyone who may not love soup or want soup for dinner. I served with quesadilla dippers which meant everyone had a part to fill up on. We topped it with cheese, salsa verde, and sour cream.

Soup is annoying to photograph – trust me that the flavor is fantastic. It is dairy-free and easy to be vegan, if needed.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Easy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients: (for 4 servings)

1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped or grated
1, 29oz can black beans
2 cups broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, guacamole, tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large pot, cook the carrots and peppers in olive oil for about 7 minutes over medium heat until soft and mostly cooked through.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add in the black beans, broth, garlic, and cumin. Stir well and cook for ~30 minutes over low heat.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add half or 3/4 to a blender or food processor and carefully blend. Repeat in batches for the texture you prefer. (I blended almost all of it.)

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add more broth if desired. Serve with toppings as you like. Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

One kid ate mostly soup and no quesadilla and the other ate mostly quesadilla and only a few bites of soup. I blended it a lot but wonder if they would have been more into it with more recognizable beans since they really like them. Sour cream is a good way to mellow it out a bit.

Make it ahead of time, or make in smaller batches. It would be great alongside a taco feast and has chili-ish vibes with all the toppings.

Seasonal Soup Round Up

‘Tis the season for soup. My littles do not always want foods all cooked together but are sort of interested in soup. Sometimes I give them more “stuff” and less broth. I ensure we have it with something else in case they aren’t all-in (like biscuits or crackers & cheese). Not all eaters consider soup to be a meal, so go all Panera on them and do soup & sandwich while figuring out what’s a hit.

Our easiest go-to is making tomato soup with grilled cheese. My cheater method is:
1 can of tomato soup + 1/2 can of milk or broth if it is condensed 
1 28 oz can of kitchen-ready tomatoes
plus whatever seasoning you like – some basil & garlic or a splash of cooking sherry makes it delightful. Stir in pesto or tortellini or whatever you like!

Cook together over medium-low heat for 15 minutes to get the tinny can flavor out

That is so fast & mindless and you get the hint of creaminess from the canned soup version with the not-sweetened canned tomatoes for true tomato flavor and I add an extra swirl of cream to the kids’ bowls to cool it down. 

Here are some of my personal favs: 

Greek Lemon, Orzo, and Chicken Soup
This one is so fresh and orzo-packed that I think it is filling yet simple. I always think it needs more and more lemon so have lots! Serve with hummus & pita chips

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Orzo Chicken Soup

Sweet & Smokey Chili (add some sweet potato!)
While mostly a basic chili, sweet and smokey chili gets a few last touches to sweeten it up – maple syrup, sweet potato, and liquid smoke. In the past, this one has been more palatable for the kids and toppings of cheese, corn, chips, and sour cream can help make it work well for everyone!

The Three Bite Rule - Sweet & Smokey Chili

Cheeseburger Soup is so fun and really filling. We once did them in bread bowls but some croutons would be fun. I add an extra drizzle of ketchup, mustard and some scallions and pickles!

The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Soup

White Bean & Sausage Soup is quick and the sausage is nicely decadent while being loaded with greens. Sweet Italian sausage or spicy sausage are equally great. Serve with bread or rolls!

The Three Bite Rule - White Bean & Sausage Soup

Easy Homemade Ramen is a go-to lunch for me – with varying levels of add-ins. I’ve been known to chop a ton of arugula or some frozen spinach. Popping in some ginger paste or frozen ginger cubes and a splash of rice vinegar would all provide some big time flavor while using half the seasoning packet or your own broth.

The Three Bite Rule - Easy Ramen