Chicken & Dumplings
I made this soup on a cold, wet night when there was absolutely nothing to do but cook. It’s the liquid version of mom's chicken pot pie – delicious and soothing, and sure to warm you to the core.
A few notes on this recipe: though this is the classic, the vegetables in this dish are variable. I used both fresh and frozen, but you could use either. And, if you're not in the mood to chop, (a perfectly fine position), opt for mostly frozen - look for peas, corn, carrots, pearl onions or some combination thereof. If you do opt for fresh, you could switch things up a bit: perhaps update with seasonal curly kale, crimini and winter squash. But, no matter what - you must begin by sweating a chopped onion and a little minced garlic. This is true for almost all recipes - and this step always goes a long way.
Regarding the chicken: I used cubed boneless and skinless thighs for a few reasons. This saved the steps of adding the chicken, letting it cook, removing it, letting it cool, then shredding it. But, cooking the chicken pieces whole can prevent them from drying out - particularly breasts - which is why I went with thighs. You could also cook the chicken skinless but on the bone, which fortifies the broth. To do this, add the chicken when you pour in the broth, but wait to add the frozen veggies. Cover and let cook - about 15 minutes - then remove, cool, shred and then add back to the pot. If you are serving this to company, and want a fancy presentation, the Pioneer Woman breaks that down here.
The flour you use for the biscuits can also be toyed with. I used a combination of whole wheat and white flour, but you could use all white or all wheat, or even get wild with some corn finely ground corn flour. And, to make the soup thicker, add more flour at the beginning. Finally, if you don’t have chicken stock on hand, veggie stock will do, and water is fine in a pinch.
Chicken & Dumplings Recipe
Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
FOR THE SOUP
2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, plus more to taste
2 quarts chicken stock, warmed
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
Instructions
Set heat to medium-high, and drizzle olive oil into a large, deep pot. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, then season evenly with salt and pepper. Sweat the veggies until they are soft - about 7 - 10 minutes.
Lower the heat, add another drizzle of olive oil or a pat of butter, and whisk the flour into the rendered fat. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, then slowly ladle in warmed stock, whisking as you go. When all the stock is added, bring to simmer and season to taste with a little more salt and pepper
Add the chicken pieces to the pot, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through – about 20 minutes.
While chicken is cooking, prepare the dumpling batter: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt, then slowly pour in the milk. Gently whisk until the mixture comes together.
Add the frozen vegetables, then drop the dumpling batter by the teaspoonful (these balloon up!), into simmering liquid. Then, cover and cook until dumplings are done – about 15 minutes. If dumplings aren’t done after 15 minutes (use a toothpick or skewer to test), cover the pot again, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with herbs and serve.
