Chicken Soup and Herb Dumplings

By anonsouthernbell

“This dish starts off as a basic chicken soup, but when you add the herb dumplings it becomes a
hearty winter meal, perfect for either lunch or dinner.” - Lorraine Wallace

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS FOR THE SOUP
• 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) low-sodium chicken broth,
• homemade or store-bought
• 2 cups water
• 2 pounds whole chicken legs (about 3 thigh and
• drumstick sections), skinned
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 3 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• INGREDIENTS FOR THE DUMPLINGS
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from Mr. Sunday’s Soups

Preparation

Step 1

To make the soup:
In a large saucepan, combine the broth, water, chicken, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Place over mediumhigh
heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently until the
chicken is firm and cooked through to the center, 15 to 18 minutes. Skim the foam off the top with a
large, flat spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Lift the chicken from the broth and, when cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and
chop into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and
discard the herbs and bay leaf.
Place a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the oil. Add the carrots,
celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic
and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
Add the reserved broth, salt, and pepper to taste. Return the diced chicken to the soup. Cover and keep
warm over very low heat while you make the dumpling mixture. (Or, cool the soup mixture and chicken
to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Warm to the simmering point before
proceeding with the recipe.)

To make the dumplings:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, dill, salt, and a little pepper. Work the
butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until it is the consistency of coarse
breadcrumbs. Whisk the buttermilk and egg briefly in a small bowl, then using a fork, blend the
buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients to form a thick and clumpy batter.
Bring the soup to a very gentle simmer. Working quickly and using two spoons, form 12
dumplings of about 1 tablespoon each and drop them into the broth. Immediately cover the pot and
cook at a very gentle simmer for 7 to 10 minutes (do not let the soup boil), until the dumplings are firm.
Ladle into warm bowls and serve, distributing the dumplings, chicken, and vegetables evenly.

TIP—“
I like to make dropped dumplings for this soup, but you can also make smaller dumplings. Roll the dumpling dough out (on a well-floured flour surface) to about ¼ inch thick, then cut into squares or even smaller, triangular dumplings. Use a pizza knife
to cut the dough if you like. Adjust the cooking time as necessary for the smaller dumplings.” – Lorraine Wallace