JUDGE COOPER'S GREEN BEAN DUMPLING SOUP

Steps:

• 1. (SOUP) In a large soup kettle, saute potatoes in oil for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add stock, bacon and beans and cook until tender.
• 2. (ROUE) In a separate saucepan, melt the butter or margarine and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the flour and cook for three minutes longer. With a whisk, stir in the milk and keep whisking until the mixture is thickened. Set aside.
• 3. (DUMPLINGS) While the soup is simmering, prepare the dumplings. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, salt and baking powder. In a separate saucepan, bring butter and milk to a simmer. Add the milk/butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Stire with a fork or kneed by hand 2-3 times until the mixture must comes together. Divide the dough into about 16 small puffy dumplings. Roll each piece of dough into a small rough ball. Set dumplings aside.
• 4. Whisk the cream/onion/garlic mixture into the soup. Add milk or cream as needed to adjust the consistency.
• 5. Gently lay the formed dumplings on the surface of the soup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. The dumplings will float to the top when they are done.
• 6. Serve immediately.