Cute, Crispy, Pillowy Broccoli Dumplings

Made with cottage cheese, they have a good dose of protein, too

I’m declaring it dumpling season, and what luck that Michal Korkosz’s book Polish’d (which I featured a terrific tofu recipe from last week) is still on my mind. One thing I appreciate about the Polish and other Eastern European food I’ve sampled is the absolute delight in dumplings. From stuffed pierogi to gnocci-like kopytka and cheese-dense but pillowy-soft leniwe, there seems to be a range to choose from, and they’re all so tender and comforting.

In vegetarian meals, dumplings are a handy component to work with. They perform “center of the plate” substance, but they’re also extremely versatile for seasonal produce, different types of cooking methods, and serving options. They’re fun to eat and fun to look at, too — I’ve never met a dinner guest who didn’t get excited about dumplings.

So I decided to try my hand at a new recipe, inspired by a few standard items in my fridge: broccoli and cottage cheese. These are gnocchi- and leniwe-adjacent, but with a jolt of pale green and cottage cheese blended into the dough. And aside from needing to blitz up those two additions in a blender or food processor, the method is very similar to most other boiled dumplings. You’ll gently knead and shape a dough, and then drop them into boiling water to cook them.

I’ve included a serving suggestion, an easy one that doubles up the broccoli aspect. But know that once they’ve been boiled, you can use these dumplings in any way you would, say, store-bought gnocchi. In a salad {gift link}, on a sheet pan, folded with your favorite pasta sauce, or similar to the suggestion here, by throwing together a quick sauté using whatever veggies you have lingering around. Lots of options to choose from, and I hope you’re as excited about dumpling season as I am.

I have a recipe question for you:

When olive oil is used, as it is here, for sautéing or tossing with vegetables for roasting, do you measure it? For me, if I’m not testing something and being exact, I always eyeball these amounts and use my judgment. I don’t mind seeing just “Olive oil,” rather than “4 tablespoons olive oil, divided” in an ingredient list. What is your preference?

Pillowy Broccoli Dumplings