Flavour nugget #48: 4-ingredient, 5-minute lemon-ricotta dumplings for soups, salads, sauces and moreOR, what to eat when you can't chew
For those who read my newsletter last week lamenting the departure of my wisdom teeth and the traumatic 45 minutes it took to enforce their exit, I have an update. My mouth wasn’t done being angry, and who can blame it? I was bestowed with further parting gifts in the forms of i) an agonising condition known as ‘dry socket’ and ii) an infection. The result: I’ve been on a soft foods diet for the past fortnight. Googling ‘soft foods diet’ brings up dreary results. Then I realised - a little later than I should have, being honest - that I know which foods are soft and which aren’t, so I can use my brain for some ideas. Did I mention the infection? I’m blaming the infection. I wanted to come to you this week with something that’s still genuinely useful for your everyday diet, though, assuming you haven’t recently undergone oral surgery. These dumplings are just that. They involve mixing (30 seconds), a quick cook (4 minutes), and they’re ready to enjoy in so many ways. You could have them with some lightly cooked vegetables and a dressing, for example, such as Tenderstem broccoli and peas, or sauce them as you would pasta. They can be lowered into simmering soup, or they can be plopped on top of any liquidy dish to plump and become the lightest, tangiest fluffs to liven up your dinner and make you feel sophisticated when all you’ve done is mix stuff in a bowl and spoon it into a pot. They also feel transitional. A bridge between summer and autumn when we are not yet into the season for wintry suet dumplings jiggling on top of a gutsy brown stew (although let us all get excited for *that*).
And yes, they are perfect for me, the non-chewer. And I thought, in case you know someone who perhaps can’t chew at the moment for whatever reason, but is deathly bored with the scrambled egg/banana/cottage cheese diet, that I would add some ideas below for fun things to eat. These are recipes that happen to be smooth. They would be a lovely treat for someone, either cooked by a person with more energy or by themselves if they’re up to it. Here we go:
Five-Minute Ricotta Dumplings Recipe There are many things you could add to these, e.g. nigella seeds for an onion-y tang, or fresh herbs. Bear in mind that anything with moisture (like the herbs) will likely necessitate the need for more flour. 250g ricotta Mix everything together gently, seasoning with salt. The mixture should still be light but should hold its shape when you spoon it. Don’t overmix it. N.B. Some brands of ricotta are more liquid than others, but the point is to keep things simple, so rather than straining your ricotta, just add a touch more flour (e.g. a tablespoon) to bind everything together. Keep going until you have a spoonable consistency. Spoon them into a soup or simmering water and cook gently for 4 minutes. I made mine into little quenelles because I felt FANCY, but this is not necessary!
SUPERSIZE ME! This week I roast some aubergines in the oven, whole, then soak their lavish innards with a delicious balm of roasted garlic, honey, black lime and citrus juices. Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Flavour nugget #48: 4-ingredient, 5-minute lemon-ricotta dumplings for soups, salads, sauces and more
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