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Chicken and Dumplings

This is comfort food at its best. It's flavorful and hearty and perfect for dinners outside on a chilly night.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast* raw
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
  • 3 parsley sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 T salt plus more for tasting
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp saffron
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp red pepper

Dumplings

  • 3 cups self-rising flour
  • ¾ tsp poultry seasoning
  • cup shortening
  • 2 tsp bacon drippings optional
  • 1 cup milk plus more if needed
  • chicken stock optional and if needed
  • cornstarch optional and if needed

Instructions

  • Place chicken in a large pot with enough water to cover it, about 9-10 cups. Add remaining indredients for the soup. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer partially covered for 1 hour, until chicken is cooked through. Turn off the heat and remove the chicken. Once cool, shred the chicken. Add the chicken back to the pot.**
  • To make dumplings, combine flour and seasoning in a bowl. Cut/add in shortening and bacon drippings, if adding, with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until there are no large chunks. Add milk and stir with a spatula. Feel free to add more milk if not all the flour is incoporated. Put dough on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll dough to ⅛-inch thickness and cut into about 1-inch long slices. The shape and size doesn't have to be perfect and universal.
  • Turn the soup to a slight boil and add in dumplings a few at a time. They will grow in the water, so if a dumpling is too big, just cut it in half. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
  • If the soup is too thick, add more water or chicken stock. If it's too thin, combine 3 T of cornstarch with ¼ cup water or chicken stock, and once mixed, add to the pot. Season as needed with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

*If adding turkey, add less chicken to start.
**If you are adding shredded turkey, add the turkey to the pot now with the chicken.