Cozy Chicken Dumpling Soup
Is there anything more comforting than cozying up with a warm bowl of Chicken Dumpling Soup? This soup reminds me of my sister Claire. We are four years apart. She is the quiet, gentle one...and I am the overbearing "Mother Hen" of an older sister that she so graciously has put up with all of her life! When she was born, my 4 year old self took the job as Big Sister very seriously, vowing to protect her at all times....and sometimes it was a little much ha ha! Here in Wisconsin we are lucky enough to still have many "Mom and Pop" restaurants that serve up homemade soups and other delicious items from scratch. As young kids it was a special treat to go out to eat and whenever we did, Claire Bear was on the look out for the Shrimp Basket and Chicken Dumpling Soup. I can't make Chicken Dumpling Soup without reserving a bowl for Claire and leaving it on her porch...compensation for putting up with me all of these years!
Ingredients
Stock
- 5-6 lbs. chicken drums (skin on)
- 2 onions, peeled and halved
- 4 tsp. salt
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 gallon cold water
- salt and pepper for seasoning (about 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Soup
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 medium size carrots, sliced and halved
- 1 medium size onion, finely diced
- 4 stalks of celery, finely diced
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- 3 ½ c. cooked chicken (from previous day's stock)
- chicken stock (from previous day)
Dumplings
- 2 c. unbleached all-purpose white flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1½ tsp. salt
- 1 c. whole milk
- 3 tbsp. chicken fat (from stock)
Garnish
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
Stock (Day Prior)
- Start by sprinkling the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan on medium high heat until it just starts to bubble. In batches, brown the chicken on all sides and transfer to a large stock pot. At this point you are not looking to cook the chicken through, but to just get some nice color on the skin. You may need to add additional butter and olive oil to the pan as necessary.
- Once the chicken is browned, add the rest of the stock ingredients to the large stock pot. Cook on high heat until you start to notice bubbles beginning to emerge to the surface of the liquid. Reduce heat to medium low so that the stock maintains a low, gentle simmer. Simmer for 1 hour and remove the chicken with a slotted spoon. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat, reserving the bones and skin.
- Add the bones and skin back to the pot and simmer the stock for another 4 hours. The meat can be set aside in the refrigerator, most of it will be used in the soup the next day.
- Once the stock is finished simmering, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly at room temperature. Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer, discard any solids that are left and refrigerate overnight.
Soup
- Scrape chicken fat (the lighter colored jiggly part) from the top of refrigerated stock and set aside in a small bowl. Add butter to a large pot set at medium heat. When butter is melted and just starting to bubble, add veggies and reduce heat to medium low. Sauté until onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Pour chicken stock into the pot (stock will be jiggly due to the collagen from the chicken bones, collagen is a good thing and this is normal). Bring mixture to a boil and immediately reduce heat to medium low. Add chicken and gently simmer the mixture until veggies are soft (about 12-15 minutes). Reduce heat to low and keep warm until dumplings are finished.
Dumplings
- Combine all of the dumpling ingredients except for the milk and chicken fat in a large bowl. Give it a good stir to ensure that the baking powder is thoroughly mixed through.
- Using a glass container, warm the milk and chicken fat in the microwave for 1 minute and whisk to combine. Slowly stir the warmed mixture into the other dumpling ingredients until just combined.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop the dumpling mixture by the spoonful into the boiling water to form one single layer (you do not want to overcrowd your dumplings). Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes (watch carefully so that your pot does not boil over). Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to soup.
- Garnish soup with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you do not have enough chicken fat to make 3 tbsp., you may substitute unsalted butter.
- Similar recipes sometimes call for dropping the dumplings directly into the broth to cook, but this can result in a cloudy broth. For this recipe, I prefer a clear broth which is why I cook them in separate pot.
