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Bowl of chicken and dumplings soup with carrots, potatoes and parsley-flecked cornmeal dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings Soup

A one-pot soup of browned chicken, carrots, potatoes and onion in chicken stock with white wine, finished with tablespoon-size cornmeal dumplings simmered under a lid for 15 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the soup
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 carrots peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
For the dumplings
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped fine (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk or unsweetened nondairy milk

Method
 

  1. Set a wide 6- to 8-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When it shimmers, add the chicken and brown it, turning the pieces now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes. It does not need to be cooked through yet.
  2. Stir in the onion, carrots and potatoes along with the bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Lower the heat to medium and saute, stirring often, for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables have started to soften.
  3. Add the white wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze it, then pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a simmer. Make the dumpling dough while the stock heats.
  4. For the dumplings, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl, including the chopped parsley if using.
  5. Stream the milk steadily into the dry ingredients while whisking at a slow pace, and stop as soon as the mixture comes together. Do not overmix; the dough will be thick and sticky.
  6. Lift out the bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Taste the broth and season it with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the dumplings will soak some of it up.
  7. With the soup at a steady simmer, portion the dough by the tablespoon, using a small scoop or two spoons, and drop the portions over the surface of the broth. Do not stir.
  8. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. The dumplings are done when they have puffed and a toothpick pushed into the center of one comes out clean; the chicken should be at least 165°F.
  9. Taste the broth again, adjust the seasoning if needed, and serve right away.

Notes

A small scoop makes evenly sized dumplings that cook through at the same time.
The dumplings contain no egg, and a nondairy milk can replace the whole milk.
Use fine cornmeal; coarse or stone-ground cornmeal makes gritty dumplings.
Storage: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. The dumplings keep soaking up broth, so add a little stock when reheating. Freezing the finished soup is not recommended because the dumplings turn soggy; to cook ahead, freeze the soup before the dumplings go in, for up to 3 months, and make fresh dumplings once it is back at a simmer.