Description
A comforting and hearty chicken and dumplings recipe featuring tender chicken thighs simmered in a flavorful vegetable and herb-infused broth topped with soft, plump dumplings. This classic dish combines sautéed vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a creamy broth to create an irresistible meal perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large leek, pale green & white part only, cut in half lengthwise & then chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
Chicken and Broth
- 2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, destemmed
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (or coconut cream as dairy-free substitute)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
Dumplings
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large dutch oven or stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once sizzling, add the onion, carrots, celery, and leek. Sauté the vegetables, stirring often, until tender and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium if browning too quickly. Stir in the garlic paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt, pepper, and ground allspice, stirring for about 1 minute to blend flavors.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the flour dissipates and the mixture turns golden brown and most of the butter has been absorbed, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Chicken and Herbs: Add the chicken thighs, fresh thyme sprigs, and chopped rosemary to the pot. Stir the chicken to combine with the vegetables. Pour in the chicken stock or broth and stir once to ensure everything is evenly distributed.
- Simmer Chicken: Cover the pot and simmer the chicken over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot using a slotted utensil and place it on a cutting board or rimmed baking sheet. Shred the chicken using two forks. Return the shredded chicken along with any accumulated juices back to the pot. Stir in the heavy whipping cream until well combined.
- Boil and Simmer: Bring the soup to a rolling boil and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Prepare the dumpling dough while the soup simmers.
- Make Dumplings: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add the melted butter and buttermilk, stirring with a spatula until a dough forms.
- Add Dumplings to Soup: Stir the frozen peas into the soup. Using a medium spring-loaded ice cream scoop, drop the raw dumpling dough evenly over the surface of the soup. Spoon some broth over the tops of the dumplings to moisten them. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer over low heat for 15-18 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through and plump. Test for doneness by cutting one dumpling to ensure it is tender and moist inside.
- Final Seasoning & Serve: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the chicken and dumplings hot and enjoy this comforting classic dish.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs for the best flavor and tenderness; boneless and skinless are preferred for easy shredding.
- Leeks add a subtle onion flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Heavy cream enriches the broth, but coconut cream is a great dairy-free substitute.
- Adjust cooking time for dumplings depending on their size; they should be tender and fully cooked inside.
- For a thicker broth, you can add a little more flour or reduce the stock slightly before adding the cream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
