Cheesy Tomato Dumplings
If you’re looking for an easy and delicious way to sneak veggies into your family’s diet, then you have to make these cheesy tomato dumplings! Not only will grown ups go wild for them, but your littles ones will beg you to make them over and over again.
These dumplings are tender with just the right amount of chew, very much like a classic gnocchi. They are speckled with little bits of cheddar cheese, making them even more substantial and rich. And you will love how easy they are to make, too. With just flour, baking powder, salt and milk (and of course, cheese), you’ll whip them up in just a few minutes.
And if you think the dumplings are easy to make, wait till you see how simple the tomato gravy is. Gravy, sauce, soup, whatever you want to call it–it’s just a few healthy ingredients cooked together until soft and then pureed. Or if you want to leave it chunky, you’ve just lessened your work load even more. So what goes into this easy to eat, vegetable rich dish? Let’s find out!
What Ingredients Do I Need?
For this simple comfort food, all you need is the following:
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Red Bell Pepper (optional)
- Carrot (optional)
- Garlic
- Vegetable Cocktail
- All purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cheddar Cheese
And that’s it! Pretty easy, everyday kitchen staples. The red bell pepper and carrot are optional because most recipes for tomato dumplings don’t call for them. But we’ve added them in for extra flavour, colour and added nutrition.
Even the cheese typically doesn’t make an appearance, but how could we leave that out?
How Do I Serve Cheesy Tomato Dumplings?
Cheesy tomato dumplings is a comfort food that you could enjoy on its own. After all it is a heavy serving of vegetables with carbs and even some protein from the cheese. If I were to add anything to it, I’d give it a drizzle of olive oil. However, it would go beautifully with some crusty bread and a side salad. Try it with the Super Soft Milk Rolls recipe on this site. Or how about some hot from the oven Golden Cornbread? You really can enjoy it with whatever side you like!
I really hope you’ll whip up a batch of these cheesy tomato dumplings for yourself or your family soon. And if you do, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment about how they turned out for you!
Cheesy Tomato Dumplings
Equipment
- 1 Large pot or skillet with lid
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Large knife
- 1 Cheese grater optional
- 1 Food processor or blender optional
- 1 Large tablespoon
Ingredients
TOMATO GRAVY
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion medium
- 1 red bell pepper medium
- 1 carrot medium
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3-4 tomatoes, diced medium
- Water as needed
- 2 cups vegetable cocktail or tomato juice
DUMPLINGS
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup milk more if necessary
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated or small diced
Instructions
FOR TOMATO GRAVY
- Dice onion, red bell pepper and carrot. If you plan to puree the gravy, you can chop them into large chunks. If you would like a chunky gravy, dice into small or medium pieces.
- In a large pot or skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add onions, red bell pepper and carrot. Add salt and pepper and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant and onions begin to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring well.
- Add tomatoes and continue to cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. This will depend greatly on how large you've diced them. Check the mixture frequently to make sure it is not burning on the bottom. Add water as necessary.
- Once the vegetables are soft, remove from heat if you plan to puree the mixture. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, then return to skillet.
- Add vegetable cocktail or tomato juice and taste for seasoning. Allow the mixture to come back to a boil over medium heat. In the meantime, make the dumplings.
- Using a large tablespoon, drop the dumpling batter in large dollops over the surface of the simmering gravy. Try to space them out evenly, allowing room for expansion. You should get anywhere from 14-16 dumplings.
- Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for 15-18 minutes or until the dumplings are thoroughly cooked. Serve and enjoy.
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
- In a medium sized bowl combine all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add milk gradually, mixing until you get a very thick batter that drops well from a spoon. Before the flour mixture gets fully incorporated, add grated or finely diced cheddar cheese. Add more milk if necessary. It should resemble a wet dough more than a batter. Mix only until thoroughly combined until no dry bits of flour remain. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before dolloping over tomato gravy.