The soda bread verdict continued …

Where did I send the bread for taste testing? Remember my friend whose husband has been very ill and the get well gift? A perfect mid week treat me thinks. Hmm, I can't just send bread - I decided to make some soup – what better vehicle for a freshly baked loaf.

I chose my favourite veggie soup – carrot, coriander and chick pea except that I decided to ring the changes and added cannellini beans instead of the chick peas. If you're interested in the recipe then check out the soup label.

Then I thought how wonderful would a dumpling be too. Veggie suet is a truly wonderful product.

100g/4oz of self-raising flour

50g/2oz of vegetable suet

large pinch of salt

80ml cold water

Mix the flour, suet and salt with the water

I divided into four and shaped into balls

Drop into simmering soup and cook for 20 minutes

Here's the thing … traditionally dumplings are placed on top of a casserole with a tightly fitting lid. Casseroles have a thicker consistency than soup and obviously, usually, slow cooked in the oven. Soup simmers on top of the hob and saucepan lids “sit” on top of the pan and are not what I'd describe as “tightly fitting”. Here's my tip - tear off a sheet of foil large enough to overlap the pan, push down slightly and then secure with the lid. Make sure your soup is simmering gently before you add the dumplings and seal with foil. 20 minutes later you'll have dumplings the size of which you wouldn't believe!

Soup, dumplings with freshly baked bread and butter for supper.

Sounds like a plan … what happened next