Peel and dice the vegetables into about 1cm chunks.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently cook the vegetables for a few minutes.
Add the stock, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dumplings: mix the flour, stock powder and thyme together, then add the olive oil. Combine until the mix resembles bread crumbs, then add the milk until the dough is easy to play with - if you add too much milk and it is too sticky, add a bit more flour. Make small balls of dough about the size of a tablespoon's full, and set aside until the vegetables have been simmering for 15 minutes.
Add the dumplings to the soup and cover again, leave to simmer for a further 10-15 minutes without stirring.
Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy the warmth :)