Good Eating Monday: Tangy Bean Soup w/ Cornbread Dumplings

Today's recipe is from the "Taste of Home" Magazine of skinny Slow Cooker recipes:
Tangy Bean Soup with Cheesy Cornbread Dumplings

I tried this last Friday and it's a very good warm chili-flavored bean soup topped with delicious little cheesy cornbread dumplings. 

Having tried the recipe, I found the liquid ratio for making the dumplings needed adjustment, so I researched what was common in other recipes and corrected that here.

I find it useful to saute onions til transparent with a little olive oil before adding them to the soup because it softens their flavor so it's not sharp.The photo is mine taken at lunch the next day, so the dumplings had absorbed all the broth.

 Tangy Bean Soup w/ Cheesy Cornbread Dumplings

Ingredients

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans of chicken broth 

1 (16oz) package frozen mixed vegetables

1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15oz) can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 Tablespoon minced fresh Cilantro 

4 Garlic cloves

1/4 tsp pepper

Salt to taste

Optional: 1/2 cup salsa 

Cornbread Dumplings

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg, beaten

2 Tablespoons Oil

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1) In a 5-6 quart slow cooker: combine the broth, beans, mixed veggies, tomatoes, onion, garlic & seasonings. Cook on Low for

6-8 hours or High for 3 - 4---until vegetables are tender.

2) For 45 minutes of cooking time, switch Slow Cooker to HIGH, if it's not already, then combine the dry dumpling ingredients in one bowl and the egg, oil and milk in another bowl, whisking together, then combine the two, stirring until just moistened.
The batter will be fairly stiff, but that's normal for dumplings. 

3)  Drop batter by heaping Tablespoonfuls on soup.
(I got about 10 out of it)
Then cover and cook on HIGH for a full 30 minutes WITHOUT LIFTING COVER.

A steamy environment is what makes dumplings rise.

At end of 30 minutes, you can lift lid and check doneness with a toothpick. Mine were done easily within that time.
*****

It wasn't quite serving time, so I turned the Slow Cooker to Warm for about 15 minutes. (cover on) 

I didn't have any Cilantro since I forgot to buy any, so I just added a little Salsa to mine and that worked fine for adding that "Tangy" flavor.