When the days turn chilly I start to crave my comfort foods. One of the first things I always make when fall comes around is my Chicken and Dumplings. It is so warming and comforting on a cold fall or winter evening.
I love making soups. There is something so peaceful about a pot of bubbling soup on the stove as I go about my regular weekend chores, and this soup is no exception to that. It fills the air with aromas of savory herbs, delicious biscuits and flavorful chicken. Soups are one of those things that I like to slow down when I make, I don’t rush the process because when you take your time, the flavors that you’re able to build are so exceptional.
Here’s The Process
For this soup, to make things a bit easier, I use what the French call the singer method. This means that you don’t have to make a roux separately from the soup pot so you end up using less dishes and saving yourself some time. To make this soup we start with a large stock pot and add in our chicken. Cook your chicken on all sides, no need to make sure its cooked all the way through at this point, just slightly browned. Next we add in the mirepoix, which is our onion, celery and carrots. We will sweat our vegetables until they are just translucent this takes about 10 minutes. You’re going to use all of the butter in the recipe when you sauté your vegetables because that fat is what we’re going to use to make a roux right in the pot. Once all your vegetables are translucent you’ll add in the flour and make your roux right and with the vegetables and chicken. After that you add in your stock. It’s best if the stock room temperature or even better if it is slightly warmed because then you don’t have to worry about getting lumps in your soup. Let that simmer to develop the flavor for at least 30 minutes. After you’ve let it simmer you’re ready to add in the rest of the ingredients.
Once I’ve added all of my herbs spices and more tender vegetables, I like to let that simmer for at least another 10 minutes or so to make sure everything is fully cooked and incorporated. After that we finish off with the half and half to give it that delicious creaminess that we all know and love. While that is simmering for the last 10 minutes I make my dumpling dough. This is very similar to a biscuit dough if you are familiar with making that but instead of doing chunks of butter we actually melt our butter so that it’s fully homogenous. This batter should be thick like biscuit dough but still be able to be scooped with a spoon to make our dumplings. In the recipe you can use either milk or buttermilk but I find that buttermilk gives just a little bit of an extra savory flavor that I prefer.
To make the dumplings I always use two spoons but you could also use a scoop. You can use big spoons or you can use small spoons, it totally depends on how big you want your dumplings to be. If you want one big dumpling for your bowl of soup then use your bigger spoons if you want several smaller dumplings then use your small spoons. Scoop your dough into your simmering liquid using one spoon to scoop it and the other to scrape it into the broth. Once they are all scooped into your soup, cover with the lid and let the dumplings cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the dumplings to cook all the way through the middle and float up to the surface. Once your dumplings are cooked you’re ready to serve!
I like to serve my chicken and dumplings in a nice big bowl while it’s still piping hot and make sure that I get at least 2 to 3 dumplings per serving. Garnish with extra fresh herbs and you are ready to enjoy!
Delicious Chicken and Dumplings
Equipment
- 1 Large Stock Pot
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 Large Chicken breasts diced 1/2 inch cubes
- 4 Oz Butter
- 3 Tbsp Flour
- 1 Cup Diced Carrot
- 1 Cup Diced Celery
- 2 Cups Diced Onion
- 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 6 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 tsp Fresh Sage or Dried
- 2 tsp fresh oregano leaves or Dried
- 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary or Dried
- ½ Bunch Italian Parsley or 2 Tbsp Dried Parsley
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves or 1.5 Tbsp Dried Thyme
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1½ Cups Half and Half
- 3 tsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
For the Dumplings
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1½ Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Granulated Garlic
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1 Cup Milk or Buttermilk
- 4 Tbsp Butter Melted
Instructions
For The Soup
- In a large stock pot over medium heat, melt your butter then add in the diced chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook on all sides, just a few minutes total, the chicken does not need to be cooked through.
- When your chicken has browned, add in your vegetables and cook until translucent. Add in the flour and mix to incorporate into the butter.
- Add in the stock and bring to a simmer, mixing thoroughly. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
- After you have let the soup simmer. add in your herbs, seasonings and sauces to finish off the soup. Be sure to taste it to make sure it doesn't need any adjustments!
For the Dumplings
- Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. The dough will be quite thick.
- Using two spoons, scoop out a dollop of the dough with one spoon and using the other, scrape the dollop into your simmering soup liquid. Continue with this until all the dough has been scooped into the pot.
- Place a tight fitting lid on your stock pot and continue to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. This will allow the dumplings to cook through. You will know they are finished when they all rise to the top and feel spongy to the touch.
- Serve your Chicken and Dumplings in a deep bowl making sure to get soup and dumplings in each serving. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
*This post contains affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I make a small commission!*
