Spinach Dumplings with Braised Root Vegetables and Mushrooms

So I actually made this ugly but delicious dish in January. It was like a breath of fresh air back then, when the weather was cold and dreary but the first root vegetables were returning to the market. But I think it would be just as good, if not better, now that daylight savings time has blessed us with a light-filled supper hour. As brutal as losing an hour of sleep can be, living outside of Florida has taught me to appreciate that March day that announces the arrival of spring. The evening sunlight, along with recent 80 degree days, can sometimes fool my body into craving warm-weather food, like salad and grilled vegetables. Usually though, spring is a transitional eating period for me. I like to have meals that combine the best of warm, comforting winter food with the lighter flavors of spring. Using seasonal produce is a great way to make that transition and this dish does just that.

This recipe starts with spinach, still abundant in my market, which gets wilted and mixed with semolina flour, butter, and eggs to make a dumpling dough. To my tastebuds, semolina flour has a richer, nuttier flavor than all-purpose white flour. It is also quite yellow and imparts its color to whatever it is mixed with. But I’m sure you could substitute AP flour if you don’t want to have to purchase semolina. While the dumplings are steaming, braise a combination of your favorite root vegetables in a shallow saucepan. I used baby turnips, parsnips, carrots, and sunchokes. I bought the sunchokes on a whim and after getting them home I did a little research on preparing them. I discovered that they can cause digestive problems in some people. So while I used them in this braise, I told Jeff to avoid them. Personally, I really enjoyed them. Finally, the braised vegetables are mixed with sauteed mushrooms and a little crème fraiche (you can substitute sour cream) and topped with the dumplings. Don’t skip the crème fraiche here – we started eating without it and the dish was pretty lifeless. I immediately jumped up and scooped some into each of our bowls. It’s really the sauce here and the tang cuts the richness of the dumplings.

The original recipe is no longer online, but it’s from Bon Appetit several years ago. I’ve included my slightly adapted version below.

Printable version of Spinach Dumplings with Braised Root Vegetables and Mushrooms

Spinach Dumplings with Braised Root Vegetables and Mushrooms
Serves 6

For Dumplings:
9 oz. fresh spinach
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. water
9 tbsp. butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup semolina flour (pasta flour; about 3 oz)
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese

For Vegetables and Mushrooms:
2 tbsp. butter, divided
¾ cup (or more) vegetable broth
2 lbs. assorted root vegetables (such as turnips, sunchokes, carrots, and parsnips), peeled, cut into ½-to ¾-inch cubes (about 4 ½ cups)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. assorted mushrooms, halved if large, thinly sliced
¾ cup crème fraiche or sour cream

For dumplings:
Rinse spinach; drain, leaving some moisture clinging to leaves. Toss spinach in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain; cool. Squeeze spinach dry and chop (there will be about ½ cup chopped spinach).
Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Bring 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. water, butter, and salt to a boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to melt butter. Add flour and semolina; stir until thick paste forms, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Using electric mixer, add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Fold in spinach and cheese. Using damp hands, roll generous 1 tbsp. dough into oval; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Spray steamer rack with nonstick spray. Set rack over large skillet or pot of simmering water (do not allow rack to touch water) and cover. Working in batches, steam dumplings until cooked through, adding more water to skillet as needed, about 35 minutes per batch. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Steam chilled dumplings in covered pan 10 minutes to rewarm before serving.)

For vegetables and mushrooms:
Melt 1 tbsp. butter in ¾ cup broth in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add root vegetables, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Cool in liquid.
Melt remaining 1 tbsp. butter with oil in another heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Combine mushroom and vegetable mixture; stir in crème fraiche. Serve in bowls with vegetable dumplings on top.

Adapted only slightly from Bon Appétit