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Azafran Soup with Spinach Greens and Yellow Cornmeal Dumplings

A saffron soup with spinach greens, yellow cornmeal dumplings, summer squash, and corn kernels.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 17 ingredients
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Why it works: Corn and spinach match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 157 recipes. Both carry 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, which smells clove, smoky. The science ↓

Azafran Soup with Spinach Greens and Yellow Cornmeal Dumplings

Time3 to 4 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the dumplings

  1. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and sugar together in a bowl.

  2. Add the butter and milk and mix well.

  3. Knead in a little more flour.

  4. Divide the dough into 1‑inch balls, flatten, and shape into small triangles.

  5. Pour the chicken stock into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and drop in the dumplings. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

  6. Remove the dumplings from the stock and set aside.

Make the saffron broth

  1. Heat 2 cups of water and the saffron in a large saucepan for about 7 minutes.

  2. Pour through a fine sieve, discard the saffron, and return the liquid to the saucepan.

  3. Add salt, pepper, stock, and the remaining 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Finish the soup

  1. Add the squash, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and simmer for another 5 minutes.

  2. Add the dumplings and spinach, and cook for 2 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

861Calories
48 gProtein
18 gFat
127 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 11 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Chicken100g cooked165
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Corn1/2 cup kernels (82g)77
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Spinach1 cup raw (30g)7
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Soupnot in our table0
Waternot in our table0
Pumpkinnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Corn + spinachtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together157 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

  2. Flour + spinachtop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,564 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  3. Chicken + corntop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,666 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

  4. Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together124,287 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Flour + corntop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,165 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs (in the method)
Not listed in this record.
Cornmeal
Gives the dumplings a coarse, tender body and a sweet corn flavor.
All purpose flour
Provides the gluten structure that holds the dumplings together.
Baking powder
Releases gas during cooking so the dumplings puff and lighten.
Azafran
Gives the broth its golden color and distinctive aroma.
Yellow summer squash
Adds tender body and mild sweetness to the soup.

The step that matters

Simmer the dumplings gently in the stock. A rolling boil can break apart the tender cornmeal dough, so keeping the stock at a gentle simmer helps the dumplings hold their shape while they cook through.

Swap the white pepper

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, chicken, corn, spinach):

  1. Cinnamonfits better
  2. Jalapenofits better
  3. Nutmegfits better
  4. White pepperthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, butter, chicken, corn, spinach. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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