Nkululeko's Bean Soup & Cheese dumplings

“The dish Nkululeko has chosen to share is one of his favourite home-cooked recipes,and the first meal he made for his fellow students in his first few days at the school. His bean soup and cheese dumplings promises to please. ”

— Jackie Cameron

 Nkululeko’s Bean Soup & Cheese Dumplings

Makes +/- 2 L (8 cups)

Ingredients: 

• 100g bacon, chopped roughly 

• 1 packet (500 g) red dried beans, soaked overnight

• 12 cups beef stock

• 500g beef shin, cut into pieces 

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 2ml (1/2 tsp) nutmeg

• 125ml (1/2 cup) parsley, finely chopped 

• Pinch Oryx salt

• Pinch Oryx black pepper

Dumplings:

• 250g self raising flour (5 ml Baking Powder and 250 ml Champagne Valley Stone grounded Flour)

• Pinch Oryx salt

• Pinch Thyme

• Pinch Oryx black pepper

• 125g cold salted butter

• 100g cheddar cheese

• 100ml cold water

Method:

For Soup

1. Fry bacon in a large saucepan until soft crisp.

2. Drain the beans and add to the bacon along with the the beef stock and shin place into a pot.

3. Cover, bring to the simmer until the beans are soft (do not add salt at this stage).

4. Add the onion, nutmeg, parsley and season with salt and pepper.

5. Simmer for 1 hour on medium low heat.

6. Then add the dumplings and continue cooking.

For Dumplings:

1. Place flour, salt, thyme in a large bowl.

2. Grate the butter into the mixture and rub it in until it resembles bread crumbs, stir in the cheese.

3. Add water a little at a time until it comes together to form a soft dough.

4. Roll into balls and place on top of the simmering soup put the lid on and leave for approximately 40 minutes (depending on the size of your dumplings).

5. In all it cooks for 1 hour 40 minutes - not including the beans cooking time.