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Chicken and Dumplings

Heartwarming, filling and satisfying.  Perfect for those cold nights or when you need comfort food.  This soup is a personal favorite and it hits the spot every time.  

Course Soup
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword Chicken, Chicken and Dumplings Soup, Comfort Food, Dumplings, Soup, Southern Cooking
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author The Tiny Fairy

Ingredients

Chicken Soup

  • 1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled and shredded
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
  • 3 large carrots, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 large garlic clove, diced finely
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 6-8 cups chicken stock 2 32-ounce containers of chicken stock
  • 1 large bay leaf (or two small ones)
  • 1/2 cup half and half or whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, minced

Dumplings Batter

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half

Instructions

Making the Chicken Soup

  1. Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken and discard.  Remove the white and dark meat from the bone.  Shred with your hands into hearty bite-size pieces.   Set aside.  

  2. In a wide mouth pot over medium heat, coat the bottom with olive oil or butter and add the carrots, celery and onions.  Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onions are translucent.  Add garlic and cook for a minute.  Add ground thyme and turmeric and stir to combine.

  3. Add the chicken stock, shredded chicken and bay leaf.  Combine well and bring to a simmer.  Lower temperature to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

  4. In a glass measuring cup, whisk 1/2 cup of half and half or whole milk with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.  Whisk until smooth.  Pour into the chicken soup and stir to combine.  Bring back up to medium heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Add parsley. 

    Taste and reseason as needed.  

Making the Dumplings

  1. As the chicken soup simmers, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.  Whisk to combine and make a well in the center of the bowl.  

  2. Pour 1 1/2 cups of half and half in the center.  Using a whisk, gently stir and pull the dry ingredients in from the sides into the center until all the ingredients are combined and you have a dough.  Don[t over mix. Set aside and allow to thicken slightly while the soup finishes cooking.

  3. Remove bay leaf from pot before dropping the dumpling dough.    

    With two spoons, shape and drop one tablespoon at a time of the dumpling dough into the simmering pot.  Work quickly so the dumplings cook uniform.   Drop the dough close but not touching each other as they will expand.  Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.   Don't remove the lid.   Turn the heat off and leave covered for an additional 15 minutes so the dumplings fully cook in the broth.  

    Here's to your health!  Enjoy.