This Short Rib Cornmeal Dumpling Soup is a total hybrid recipe between my Red Wine Braised Short Ribs and my Chicken and Herb Dumplings. Both outstandingly delicious, but this soul warming goodness of a recipe is the real star here. Just in time too because Winter is Coming. No joke, it was 90 degrees last week and today didn’t even break 50 degrees. Welcome to the weather mood swings of Montana.
I’ve tried cornmeal dumplings before and was never really satisfied with the recipe so I’ve worked tirelessly on perfecting the fluffiest, most delicious dumpling ever. And it is a good one. These little dumplings are fluffy, have texture like cornbread and are buttery like a biscuit. Everything you want to dive into a big bowl of Short Rib Soup.
You can also use good beef stew meat when making this recipe, I just happened to have leftover short ribs that I shredded up and added to my soup. So it’s all based on what you have on hand or how far you want to take this recipe.
Like all good comfort recipes, this takes time. So pour yourself a big glass of wine and settle in for this dish to take 4-5 hours. Good things come to those who wait.
Wine Pairing Recommendation: I poured myself a glass of J Vineyards Pinot Noir. I love this wine because it’s not a light Pinot Noir at all, it has structure of black cherry and spicy black pepper. The perfect compliment to this dish.
Short Rib Cornmeal Dumpling Soup
You may use beef stew meat for this recipe instead of short ribs. You only need 2 cups of beef stock for braising the short ribs, add the remaining 4 cups for your soup base.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Beef Short Ribs, about 4 large short ribs
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 whole Onion, chopped
- 3 large Carrots, peeled and sliced on bias
- 3 whole Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Thyme Leaves or 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 cup Red Wine
- 6 cups Beef Stock
- 1 whole Bay Leaf
- 1/2 cup Frozen Green Peas
- 1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley Leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Liberally season the short ribs with kosher salt and pepper. Sear all sides of short ribs in pot, about 1-2 minutes a side. Remove to a plate and set aside. Pour oil out of the pot and turn heat down to medium.
- Step 2 Add butter to the pot, chopped onions and carrots. Saute for about 3-5 minutes until veggies are slightly tender. Add garlic, thyme, and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Step 3 Deglaze with red wine, scraping any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add ONLY 2 cups of beef stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add short ribs back to the pot and cover. Simmer on a consistent medium low temperature for 3 hours.
- Step 4 Remove short ribs to a cutting board and discard bones. Allow to cool slightly before shredding. Add the remaining 4 cups of beef stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Step 5 Fish out the bay leaf and discard. Add the shredded short ribs and the frozen peas to the soup. Stir and season soup with a pinch of kosher salt or to taste preference.
- Step 6 In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and ground black pepper. Cut in the 2 tablespoons of cold butter using a fork until butter is combined in the mixture. Stir in milk and chopped parsley until combined. Using a large spoon, drop dumpling dough into the soup about 1/2 inch apart from each other. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes until dumplings are dry to the touch.
- Step 7 Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Savor and Enjoy!
This was great until I added the dumplings and basically ruined the whole thing. I made it exactly to recipe but the dumplings dissolved into the soup. I just put them on top, covered, and didn’t stir. But came back to a whole pot of cornmeal mushy soup with a few blobs of dumplings left on top. If I try this again, I’ll just cook the herb cornbread biscuits separately and serve with the warm soup.