Chicken Stew Soup with Fluffy Dumplings

Nancie McDermott, cookbook author described this Chicken Stew Soup with Fluffy Dumplings recipe as: "This dish is so comforting that it feels restorative". One of the first things I reach for on days I am under the weather is homemade chicken soup. This soup had all the right flavors: savory and hearty with tender tendrils of chicken and fluffy cloud-like dumplings. I cooked this recipe in stages: first, a good soup stock. Then later, assembled the chicken shreds, vegetables and dumped the dumplings. This recipe was inspired by the new cookbook "Southern Soups and Stews" by Nancie McDermott (Chronicle Books) from the recipe of Sheri Castle in the book. The soup meal serves 6 to 8.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chicken Stew Soup Dumplings

Servings: people

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Asian in America

Equipment

Large Stock pot: 10 to 12 quarts
Dutch Oven: 10 to 12 quarts

Ingredients

4 pounds whole chicken, bone-in, or cut up in serving pieces
6 to 8 cups chicken stock
4 cups coarsely chopped onions from about 4 onions
3 cups coarsely chopped carrots from about 3 pc. carrots carrots
3 cups coarsely chopped celery include leaves, plus 3/4 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic peeled, crushed
3 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour for dumplings
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter cut in small cubes
2 Tablespoons chilled Crisco shortening
3/4 cup regular milk or half-and-half milk
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley plus 1 Tablespoon for garnish

Instructions

How to make the stew: Place the chicken in a large stockpot. Add the soup stock, onions, carrots, celery, garlic. Then add one teaspoon of the salt. Cover the chicken and ingredients with enough water. Cover and over medium high heat bring the stew to a boil. When it boils, lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and continue cooking till chicken is cooked thoroughly for about 55 minutes to one hour.
When chicken is cooked, remove from the stockpot. Leave the broth and vegetables in the stockpot.
Shred the chicken meat, removing it from the bones. Return the chicken bones to the broth. Continue cooking for 45 minutes or more over medium heat.
Keep the shredded, chopped chicken in the refrigerator while the broth is simmering. When broth is done, strain the liquid and discard excess bones. You should have about 8 cups of broth. Or add water to the broth to complete the 8 cups. Set aside.
Separately, heat the butter in the same stockpot (or use a Dutch Oven if preferred).
Add the chopped carrots, onion, celery and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir around to mix vegetables and cook for 8 minutes more till soft.
Add the reserved broth and simmer about 10 minutes more.
Return the shredded, chopped chicken to the broth and heat the entire soup. Cover and keep the stew in a low simmer, over low heat.
How to make the dumplings: Place the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Use two forks or a pastry blender to mix in the butter and lard into the mixture. It should be crumbly with thin flakes of fat around it. To test: put the mixture against the back of your thumb; if it clings, it is ready for the next step.
Slowly pour in the half-and-half. Expect the dough to be soft and sticky, yet firm enough to be held in a spoon.
Check to see the chicken shreds in the simmering broth. Add most of the parsley. Save a few bunches of parsley for garnishing at the end.
How to add dumplings: Take 2 spoons of dumpling dough, shape into a golf ball-sized dumpling. Place these dumplings gently into the stew. Scatter them around the stockpot.
Keep the stockpot covered. Cook till dumplings are firm, fluffy for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley over the soup and chicken. Serve piping hot.
Cook's comments: On days I am busy and I have cooked roast chicken leftovers, I add that to the simmering broth to make the soup stock. It is a simple, easy short cut to cooking this hearty soup meal.
Ingredient notes: The author used 6 fresh thyme sprigs plus 2 teaspoons fresh thyme for the soup stock. I did not have this at the time of cooking. Feel free to add thyme if desired.
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Nutrition