The Dumpling Diet

This light, refreshing Chinese dumpling soup is made with fat-free chicken broth and turkey dumplings instead of the usual high-fat pork dumplings. It is a substantial portion--each diner gets five dumplings, as well as broth and vegetables--but there are only three grams of fat per serving.

Round potsticker wrappers, available in many regular supermarkets and Asian markets, are used as dumpling wrappers. Just spoon a small amount of ground turkey filling onto each wrapper, then lightly brush the edge with beaten egg before sealing to prevent dumplings from opening during simmering. Stir in the sesame oil just before serving, then sprinkle with cilantro.

CHINESE DUMPLING SOUP

1/2 pound ground turkey

1 tablespoon minced green onion

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons minced ginger root

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (10-ounce) package round potsticker wrappers

1 egg, beaten

4 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth

1 small bunch bok choy, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices

4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 (2 1/4-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and sliced

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Chopped cilantro

Combine ground turkey, green onion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced ginger, cornstarch and salt in bowl. Brush outer edge of potsticker wrapper with beaten egg. Spoon about 1 teaspoon turkey mixture onto center of wrapper. Fold wrapper in half. Press firmly to seal well. Pleat edge. Repeat until all filling is used.

Combine chicken broth, bok choy, mushrooms and ginger in large sauce pot. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add filled dumplings. Return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until dumplings are cooked through. Stir in sesame oil. Spoon into serving bowls. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Makes 6 servings with about 30 dumplings.

Each serving contains about:

107 calories; 1,147 mg sodium; 53 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.41 gram fiber.

* Transjo Swedish footed bowl and Izabel Lan bowl with dumpling soup and spoon from H. & L. Levin, L. A. Mart.

*

More Low-Fat Recipes

Donna Deane’s low-fat recipes are now available in two booklets. One contains 40 recipes for low-fat appetizers, main courses, side dishes and breads. The other contains 48 low-fat dessert recipes.

To order by phone, call (800) 440-3441. Select option 3. For main courses and other recipes, order Item No. 1763. For dessert recipes, order Item No. 1764. For the set, order Item No. 1765. Item Nos. 1763 and 1764 each cost $6.50, plus $2.50 delivery. Item No. 1765 costs $9.95, plus $3.50 delivery.

To order by mail, send your check to Times on Demand Publications, P.O. Box 60395, Los Angeles, Calif. 90060. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.