Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Chicken and dumplings...I'm salivating already, pardon me while I wipe the drool off of my keyboard.  I've always shied away from making dumplings because I thought they sounded complicated, or like something a grandma would make, but not a busy mom like myself.  To be honest, most of the recipes for dumplings that I've come across online and in my cookbooks, use either eggs or milk or both.  I found this recipe on an old magazine clipping in my pile of "desk junk", and I gave it a whirl, with a couple alterations! Warm, hearty, comforting, and surprisingly simple, this recipe will prove to be a "go to" dish on a chilly day! 

*This recipe is egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, dairy-free, shellfish-free, fish-free, soy-free.  As always, read your labels and the recipe carefully to determine if it is safe for you and your allergic loved ones!

Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs,
   cut into large pieces

Skim the foam as the soup cooks.

2 onions, chopped4 celery ribs (including leaves), chopped
8 carrots, peeled and chopped in 1 inch chunks
4 quarts chicken stock
Kosher Salt
pepper
fresh parsley for garnish, chopped

Dumplings:
3 cups flour
Kosher salt
4 tbsp. canola oil
2 1/4 cup water

Directions:
- Place chicken pieces, carrots, celery, and onion in a large Dutch oven (or large soup pot)
- Add chicken stock, salt pepper and bring to a boil over high heat.  (Skim off any foam that rises to the top during the cooking process.)
- Reduce the heat to low and cover with snug fitting lid. Simmer for about 50 minutes or until chicken is tender.


You can see my "cuts" are not
uniform, but you'll be surprised
at how fluffy and light this
dough feels as you work with it!

- While the soup is cooking, make the dumplings. Place flour, salt and oil in a large bowl and slowly add the water, stirring, to make a dough. 
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly - DO NOT overwork the dough!
- Roll dough to about 1/4 inch thick, and using a rolling pizza cutter, cut the dough into roughly 1 x 3 inch slices.
- After the soup has cooked for about 50 minutes, carefully slide the dough strips into the pot (still simmering), trying not to crowd them in one big clump. COVER TIGHTLY (you need the steam created for fluffy dumplings), keep heat on low and cook for about 10 minutes. 
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

This soup was a big hit in our house, and frankly, it was so easy to make the dumplings, I don't know why I would ever add boxed noodles to my soup again!  So there you have it, dear readers, dumplings aren't just for grandmas!

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!