Chicken and dumplings are nostalgic for me and probably are for a lot of people. Though I don’t remember the first time I ever had it, the magical comfort it brings is forever a part of my memory, like an old friend. Everybody’s mom or grandma has their own version of this dish that they either created on their own or inherited. Because of this, there are many different variations, but all recognizable as chicken and dumplings.
For my take on the comfort classic, I wanted to create a dish that was fresh, clean, flavorful and simple. I wanted to be able to taste all of the individual ingredients on their own, but have everything work together and create a beautifully balanced dish. The foundation for these flavors is a delicious homemade chicken soup.
Here’s what you need for the chicken soup:
I’m sure a lot of readers are going to want to navigate away from this post at the thought of making the broth from scratch! And I totally get it. If it’s something you haven’t attempted before, it seems like a very daunting task! I guess it’s slightly more work than cutting a rotisserie chicken and buying broth at the grocery store, but the difference in flavor and in mouthfeel of homemade is astronomical.
I think you will find that making broth from scratch really isn’t difficult. It just takes a little time. You can often find pre-cut quartered chickens at most grocery stores, and if your store has an actual meat counter, you can ask someone to quarter it for you.
If you are left with no other option but to quarter it yourself, don’t worry! It doesn’t need to be perfect! The whole thing is going to pulled later on! There are really only 3 cuts you need to do.
- Cut between the two breasts. Open the bird and turn it over to expose the back.
- Cut down either sides of the spine and remove it. You will use this for broth but then discard it.
- Cut through the natural seam between the breast and the thigh to separate the two sections.
Place the quartered chicken in a large pot or dutch oven. Fill the pot with water. Bring it to a boil, then turn to a simmer. Continue to simmer the broth for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and set it aside to cool. Pour or ladle the broth through a fine mesh strainer and reserve for the soup.
Make the chicken soup.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and shred it into bite sized pieces. Discard the bones, skin and any other inedible bits.
Sauté the carrots, onions and celery with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and sauté for 2 minutes more.
Add the shredded chicken to the soup as well as the broth. Season the soup with salt. It’s a big pot of soup and it will need a good amount of salt, probably close to a tablespoon. And it is crucial to add the salt now and not after it cooks to ensure it is seasoned properly.
Bring it to a boil, then turn to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes. As the soup cooks, you can start working on the dumplings.
Here’s what you need for the dumplings:
This recipe makes pillowy-soft dumplings with just the right amount of bite! As they steam in the hot soup, they absorb all that delicious homemade broth as well as the other flavorings!
These dumplings couldn’t be easier to make! Start by melting the butter in the microwave for a few seconds. Next, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Pour in the buttermilk and use a rubber spatula to bring the dough together. Finally, add the melted butter and mix until it is just incorporated.
Use a cookie scoop for perfect dumplings.
A scoop that measures one ounce or close to it makes perfect dumplings that are uniform in size! And you don’t have to get your hands dirty! Just scoop the dough straight from the bowl into the soup!
Place a lid on the pot and cook the dumplings for 22 minutes. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and dinner is ready to go!
Enjoy leftovers for up to 5 days. Just keep them refrigerated in a lidded container and reheat on the stove or in the microwave!
Other recipes you might like:
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 6 pound whole fryer chicken quartered
- 3 carrots diced
- 2 celery diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme minced
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary minced
- kosher salt to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
For the dumplings
- 2 cups flour all purpose
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 tsp butter melted and cooled
Instructions
Make the broth.
- Place the quartered chicken into a large pot or dutch oven. Fill the pot with water until the chicken is fully submerged. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and continue to simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
Make the soup.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it into bite sized pieces. Discard the rest. Sauté the onion, carrots and celery on medium heat for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt until slightly tender. Add the rosemary, thyme and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the shredded chicken and reserved broth. Add 1 tbsp of salt to start. You may need more seasoning later on. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn to simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Make the dumplings.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk and melted butter and use your hands to fold it into a dough, but try not to over mix. Mix it until it is just combined. Use a cookie scooper to scoop balls of the dumpling dough directly into the soup. Once all the dough is in, place the lid on the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the finished dish with fresh parsley.