Peas-and-Carrots Soup with Dumplings

Serves 4

Warm up your family in minutes with this fast and filling soup.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 tablespoons butter
3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 fresh bay leaf
2 rounded tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (32 ounces)
1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, fresh dill or flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 box biscuit mix (8 ounces, or about 2 cups), such as Jiffy brand Buttermilk Biscuit Mix, batter prepared according to package directions

Heat a couple of tablespoons of EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the butter to melt, then add the carrots, celery and onion; season with salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots soften, 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the vegetables and stir for a minute, then whisk in the chicken or vegetable stock until thickened. Stir in the mustard and peas. For a thinner soup, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups water with the stock.
Add the chopped fresh herbs to the biscuit batter and combine. When the soup is bubbling, form the batter into small dumplings using two spoons, then drop the dumplings onto the surface of the soup. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook the dumplings, gently stirring, until just firm, 8-10 minutes.
To serve, transfer the soup and dumplings to shallow bowls; discard the bay leaf.