Chicken and Dumplings
adapted and compiled from several sources
This just might be the perfect winter comfort food. I only make this very rarely, but it’s such a treat, and I love adding additional veggies to make this a one-pot meal. Sometimes I indulge in making my own stock with a whole chicken, then using the meat for the soup. When I don’t have time for that, I use prepared broth and buy a rotisserie chicken to shred. While it’s occasionally nice to spend quality time in the kitchen making a homey dish like this, those with less time on their hands need not pass this recipe by!
For the soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 pounds of chicken, cooked and shredded
optional: up to 2 cups of additional veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives
Directions:
Saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in the olive oil until soft. Add salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and thyme, and sauté for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, and bring to a simmer.
While the stock is heating, combine the butter and flour in a small heatproof bowl and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, blend together. Set aside.
Ladle 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid (strain out any veggies so it’s just liquid) into the bowl with the butter-flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add this mixture to the pan along with the chicken and additional veggies, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat, or until the vegetables are just tender.
While the soup is cooking make the dumplings.
For the dumplings (taken from “Joy of Cooking”):
Mix together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
Bring just to a simmer in a small saucepan:
3 T butter
1 cup milk
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork or knead by hand 2 to 3 times until the mixture just come together.
Divide the dough into abut 18 puffy dumplings. Roll each piece of dough into a rough ball.
Gently lay the formed dumplings on the surface of your stew, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with chopped parsley or chives.
