There are a few meals that always fill me up with warm and fuzzy feelings. One of these is chicken and dumplings. I’m not quite sure why since I didn’t grow up eating it often. My southern grandma didn’t have a super secret recipe or tips to make it out of this world. I think it’s because I made it myself for the first time in college and I just thought it was so delicious. It brought about these feelings of home, a comfort meal, a perfect meal for a rainy day. The dumplings are my favorite part, but I wanted to add a little more health to this comfort meal. So I combined chicken and dumplings with a vegetable soup and made a veggie packed chicken and dumplings that still has that creamy goodness of the original and of course there are lots of dumplings!
First I start by sauteing the onion, celery and carrots with butter in a large pot. After those veggies have softened, add in the mushrooms, garlic and spices. The aroma smells so good! That combo of onion, celery, carrots and spices is homey and fills you up with warm feelings.
Next, I added the diced chicken and let it brown for about 5 minutes. Then I stirred in the red potatoes. Now comes the flour to thicken the soup. I sprinkled 1/3 cup of flour over the chicken and veggie mixture, stirred to combine, and let it sit for about 3 minutes to cook out the flour’s raw flavor. Then I slowly stirred in the chicken broth and milk. The small addition of milk gives the soup a creamy richness without being too heavy. I try to substitute ingredients like heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, etc. when I am able to. The touch of milk creates a perfect balance.
The soup needs to thicken on low for at least 15 minutes. You’ll notice the broth feels thicker when you run a spoon through. While the soup it thickening, it’s dumpling time! Don’t be nervous because someone’s great-grandmother has a super secret, best dumplings in the world, made from scratch recipe. These are so easy. I just combine Bisquick (or any all purpose baking mix) in a bowl with baking powder and salt. The baking powder makes the dumpling extra fluffy. Stir in the milk until the dough is a thick almost paste-like batter.
After the soup has thickened, stir in the frozen veggies. After the veggies have come up to temperature, I drop the dumplings into the soup using a large dinner spoon, leaving about 1-inch spacing. You’ll get about 8 – 10 dumplings, depending on their size. I put the lid back on the soup and let the dumplings steam for 10 minutes. My lid is clear, so I love watching the dumplings puff up.
Especially during Winter, I feel I need all the extra immunity boosts I can get. On a cold day, few things are more satisfying than spooning my veggie packed chicken and dumplings into a bowl and serving with a nice salad.
Enjoy!
Veggie Packed Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 celery stalks (chopped)
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 4 red potatoes (small diced)
- 1 small onion (small diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 2 large chicken breasts (cut into small chunks)
- 1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen green beans
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 cup red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
For the Dumplings
- 1 cup Bisquick
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
Instructions
To make the soup
- Heat a large pot on medium, add the butter and melt. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots and cook about 3 minutes until soft. Mix in the mushrooms, garlic, and spices.
- Add the diced chicken and begin to brown. Saute until chicken is cooked, about 5 – 7 minutes. Stir in the red potatoes.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Let flour cook for about 2 – 3 minutes, then slowly stir in the chicken broth and milk. Let mixture thicken on medium-low for 15 minutes. After the soup thickens, add the frozen peas, corn, and green beans and allow them to get up to temperature. While the soup thickens, prepare the dumplings.
To make the dumplings
- In a small bowl, combine Bisquick, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk. Mixture will have a thick dough consistency.
- After the soup thickens, drop the dumplings by the spoonful (I use a large dinner spoon), into the soup. Give about a 1-inch space between the dumplings. This will make about 8 – 10 dumplings, depending on size. Place a lid on the soup and let the dumplings steam for 10 minutes. Serve in bowls. I like to serve a crisp salad on the side. Enjoy!
