Hey friends, TGIF – right? This week has felt like two, and I’m so ready to spend the days off snuggling with my family. We’re looking at a lot of dreary weather and rain, which is so weird for January, but makes for perfect soup weather! I’m sharing with you a recipe I tried recently for the first time and it was delicious. I’ve always been intimidated by the idea of dumplings, but it turns out they’re just about as easy as it gets. This soup is hearty and refreshing at the same time – it has just the right amount of citrus to balance the heaviness of the dumplings. I hope you enjoy!
What You Need: Soup
- 3 chicken breasts – roasted with salt and pepper (or a rotisserie chicken always works great too)
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 ribs of celery
- 4 large carrots
- Juice of two lemons
- 3 chicken bullion cubes
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- S+P to taste
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
- Fresh parsley for garnish
What You Need: Dumplings
- 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Start by sauteing your celery, onion and carrots in a little bit of olive oil, approximately 2-3 minutes. From there, add your water, diced chicken, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender. Then add your lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. While this is simmering, you get get started on the dumplings.
In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; set aside.
Drop dumplings on top of simmering soup, a few at a time. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Gently stir in cream and parsley.
Sit back and enjoy – this soup is absolutely delicious and one of those “stick-to-the-ribs” meals. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Staying Martha 