Potato Gnocchi in Mushroom Broth

Every bit of this hearty fall meal is homemade, from the broth to the adorable potato dumplings.

To make the broth, combine 6 cups water, 3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms, 2 cups thinly sliced carrot, 2 cups thinly sliced leek, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, and 5 thyme sprigs in a Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain the mixture into a bowl through a sieve, and discard the solids.  Stir 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce into the broth; set aside.  (Note: you can make the broth up to a day ahead, if you like, to save time on the night of actual preparation).

To make the gnocchi, pierce 1 and 3/4 pounds baking potatoes (about 2) with a fork several times, then bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.  Let cool slightly before peeling and mashing the potatoes.  The skins will have crisped around the edges and should peel right off in your fingers, with no need for a vegetable peeler!

Combine the potato with 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and the equivalent of 1 egg yolk using egg replacer (such as Ener-G), which is 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of the powder whisked into 1 tablespoon warm water.  Stir until you form a dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.  I actually found my dough was perfect without any extra flour at all.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and shape each into a 15-inch rope.  Cut each rope into 15 pieces (so you now have 60 pieces of gnocchi total).  Roll each piece into a small ball, then press with the tines of a fork.  Place the gnocchi on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, cover, and set aside while you bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a Dutch oven.

Add half of the gnocchi to the water; cook until they float - about 2 minutes - then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a colander.  Repeat with the remaining half of the gnocchi.  Here's the gnocchi before covering it with the mushroom broth:



Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 cups thinly sliced cremini mushrooms, 1 cup julienne-cut leek, and 1 cup julienne-cut carrot.  Cook for 10 minutes, then set aside.



Return the mushroom both to a boil.  Stir the cooked mushroom/leek/carrot mixture into the broth.

Place 10 gnocchi in the bottom of each of 6 bowls, and ladle 1 cup of the broth mixture into each bowl.  You'll have 6 servings of 270 calories each - just add some hearty bread to round out the meal!

Cost:
I wish I could let you know!  Unfortunately, the cashier at Whole Foods did not give me my receipt, so looks like I'm unable to report for the first time since starting this blog!