[Recipe] Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Herb Dumplings
Last night, as the chill of autumn was starting to set in, I found myself in the mood for something satisfying yet not too difficult to cook up. I tinkered this together off of the foundation of a similar recipe from a soups-n-stews cookbook I bought some time back, and despite the dumplings just turning out OK (I always seem to have trouble getting dumplings just right, alas) the broth was pleasantly flavorful -- definitely not too bland.
So, without further ado, here's my recipe for
Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Herb Dumplings
Ingredients
Soup:
* 6 - 7 cups chicken stock or broth
* about 1.5 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
* about 1.5 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
* 1 medium yellow onion, diced
* 3 stalks sliced celery, sliced
* 2 medium potatoes, peeled, sliced and quartered
* 1/2 teaspoon thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon basil
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* freshly ground pepper to taste (I went with sixteen twists of the pepper grinder, but your mileage may vary)
* 1 bay leaf
Dumplings:
* 2 cups Bisquick (alternatively, 2 cups flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon oregano
* 1 cup buttermilk, or 1 cup half & half
Method
1. In a large soup pot over high heat, bring stock, chicken, vegetables, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard.
2. Meanwhile, make dumpling batter and set aside.
3. Increase heat to medium. To cook dumplings, drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls on top of hot stew. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Cover and cook until a tester comes out clean when inserted into a dumpling, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
(A note from personal experience: when I put a test wooden skewer into several of the dumplings at the end of the initial 10 minutes, it always came out clean. So your mileage may vary on dumpling cooking time, though perhaps that's just because of the mix I was using for the batter. Additionally, don't go crazy with the number of dumplings if you know you're not going to serve all of the soup -- leftover dumpling batter expands in the broth and makes the soup much thicker if not consumed.)
(And one last note: the soup definitely is better when first made. When reheated, the broth seems to lose some of its vitality and flavor.)
All in all, though, a very savory and tasty broth, with plenty of protein and veggies. Definitely a good thing to warm up with on a chilly day or evening.
Originally crossposted from http://kitchenklutz.dreamwidth.org/6849.html. Please comment here if you first read the post here.
So, without further ado, here's my recipe for
Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Herb Dumplings
Ingredients
Soup:
* 6 - 7 cups chicken stock or broth
* about 1.5 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
* about 1.5 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
* 1 medium yellow onion, diced
* 3 stalks sliced celery, sliced
* 2 medium potatoes, peeled, sliced and quartered
* 1/2 teaspoon thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon basil
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* freshly ground pepper to taste (I went with sixteen twists of the pepper grinder, but your mileage may vary)
* 1 bay leaf
Dumplings:
* 2 cups Bisquick (alternatively, 2 cups flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon oregano
* 1 cup buttermilk, or 1 cup half & half
Method
1. In a large soup pot over high heat, bring stock, chicken, vegetables, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard.
2. Meanwhile, make dumpling batter and set aside.
3. Increase heat to medium. To cook dumplings, drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls on top of hot stew. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Cover and cook until a tester comes out clean when inserted into a dumpling, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
(A note from personal experience: when I put a test wooden skewer into several of the dumplings at the end of the initial 10 minutes, it always came out clean. So your mileage may vary on dumpling cooking time, though perhaps that's just because of the mix I was using for the batter. Additionally, don't go crazy with the number of dumplings if you know you're not going to serve all of the soup -- leftover dumpling batter expands in the broth and makes the soup much thicker if not consumed.)
(And one last note: the soup definitely is better when first made. When reheated, the broth seems to lose some of its vitality and flavor.)
All in all, though, a very savory and tasty broth, with plenty of protein and veggies. Definitely a good thing to warm up with on a chilly day or evening.
Originally crossposted from http://kitchenklutz.dreamwidth.org/6849.html. Please comment here if you first read the post here.