Tibetan New Year’s Eve Soup with Dumplings (Guthuk) Recipe

This traditional soup features nine large dumplings containing items such as a sugar cube, raw bean, small piece of wood, wool string, piece of charcoal, folded paper, pebble, hot chili pepper, or cotton ball, that predict the diners' New Year's fortune. Wool, for example, is considered to symbolize good-heartedness, while charcoal represents meanness. The dumplings are not eaten but discarded after their contents are revealed.

Yield: 9 servings

Equipment needed: 4-quart saucepan, cutting board, knife, electric mixer with dough hook, work surface, wide soup pot, skimmer, large platter, soup bowls

Ingredients for soup

2 pounds lean beef stew meat

3 quarts water

1 cup onions, sliced

1 cup leeks, sliced

1 cup celery, sliced

2 cups napa cabbage, sliced

2 teaspoons salt

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon turmeric seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

Ingredients for dumplings

4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

Flour for dusting

Method for soup

1. Cube meat; place in large pot. Add 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour.

2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer one more hour. Keep soup hot.

Method for dumplings

1. Sift flour into mixing bowl. Add salt.

2. Using mixer with dough hook, at slow speed add enough water to form stiff dough.

3. Move dough to floured work surface; knead and shape into long roll.

4. Divide roll into nine pieces and flatten each piece with the palm of your hand.

5. Place one fortune symbol in each dumpling, moistening dough edges with water to seal.

6. Fill wide soup pot with water. Add dumplings and simmer 15 minutes.

7. Transfer dumplings to large platter and let each participant pick one at random.

8. Serve soup after dumplings are opened and fortunes are revealed.