There is nothing more comforting than a bowl filled with tender chicken breast and rich dumplings bathed in a creamy herbed broth, particularly on a cold day. The first time I was inspired to attempt chicken and dumplings, it was thanks to Victoria Granof, who described her recipe for the dish on Epicurious as “the soup equivalent of a hot toddy.” Utterly beguiling. And she was absolutely right. Many years and many dumplings have now gone by since my first foray with the dish, but I will be eternally grateful for her recipe and wit as the original inspiration for this adaptation. This chicken dumpling soup is simple, heartwarming, and laced with enough golden colored turmeric to conjure up warm and sunny thoughts in the darkest of times.
Ingredients for Chicken Dumpling Soup
- olive oil
- chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (or chicken thighs)
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- fresh thyme
- bay leaf
- turmeric
- chicken bouillon (and water) or broth
- flour, all purpose
- cornmeal
- baking powder
- sugar
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- heavy whipping cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First, prepare the meat and vegetables. Cut the chicken into chunks about 2 inches. Chop the onions into pieces about 1 inch. Chop the carrots and celery into pieces about 2 inches.
Place the flour in a small bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Before you proceed to dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Dredge each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.
When the oil is hot, brown the floured chicken pieces in at least two batches. Once the chicken begins to develop a golden crust on the bottom, flip it over and brown on the other side. Browning will take several minutes per side.
After all of the chicken pieces have been browned and set aside, add the onions to the pot. Saute the onions for a few minutes, or just until they begin to turn transluscent.
Then add the carrots, celery, fresh thyme, bay leaf, and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetable mixture for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is slicked in the now golden tinted olive oil.
Add the chicken stock (or water and chicken bouillon) to the pot. Stir well to loosen any browned bits on the bottom and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the broth is bubbling, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Add the browned chicken pieces back into the pot and let the mixture bubble away for 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the dumplings.
For the Dumplings
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Then add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix everything together swiftly until it is just combined. The dough will be very sticky.
Using a spoon to scoop out a couple tablespoons of dough at a time and then gently rolling it between your palms, shape the dough into rough dumplings about the size of a ping pong or golf ball. You will end up with somewhere around 20 to 25 dumplings.
Finally, drop the dumplings evenly into the simmering broth in a single layer and cover the pot with a tightly fitting lid.
While covered with the lid, simmer the soup for 12 to 15 minutes more, or until the dumplings have puffed up and cooked through. They will be fluffy and delicate when done.
Serve immediately, discarding the woody remains of the thyme sprigs as you gently ladle the chicken dumpling soup into bowls.
Hint: If you have difficulty with the stickiness of the dough while shaping the dumplings, try slightly dampening your hands. However, don’t expect them to ever get perfectly smooth. The dumplings should be somewhat tacky to the touch.
Equipment
A large dutch oven works best here. I use a 7.25 quart round le creuset because it is sufficiently wide to comfortably accommodate the dumplings.
Storage
Chicken dumpling soup can be refrigerated for up to three days.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour, seasoned lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 medium celery stalks
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- several sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 8 cups chicken stock
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For dumplings
- 1½ cup all purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup ground cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into large chunks and chop the onion, carrot, and celery into large pieces.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy pot with a tightly fitting lid.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour and brown them in a single layer until they begin to turn golden, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. (This may require two batches.) Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, turmeric, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes or until everything is slicked in the now golden tinted olive oil.
- Add the broth and stir to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and return the chicken pieces to the pot. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dumplings.
For the Dumplings
- In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
- Stir in the cream and mix swiftly until the mixture is just combined. (The dough will be sticky.)
- Using a spoon to scoop out a couple tablespoons of dough at a time and then gently rolling it between your palms, shape the dough into about 20 to 25 dumplings approximately the size of a ping pong ball.
- After the chicken has simmered for 20 minutes, drop the dumplings evenly into the pot in a single layer. Cover the pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes more. When the dumplings are done, they will look slightly puffed and their texture will be fluffy and delicate.
To Serve
- Gently ladle the dumplings and soup into bowls. As you ladle, be sure to discard the woody remains of the thyme sprigs.
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