Way back when, I used to get a delicious Chicken and Dumpling soup from a now defunct deli. I've tried replicating that soup and this is the closest I've come. It's a comforting, warming and homey soup. Add a crusty bread and green salad, it's a perfect meal for a cold day.
Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced small
2 stalks celery with leaves, diced small
3 medium carrots, diced small
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon flour
7 cups chicken broth, homemade or made from better than bouillon chicken base
3 sprigs of parsley
3 springs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 3/4 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup milk, 1%
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup Wheat Farina or Cream of Wheat cereal
Dash of salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Melt butter in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft about 12 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes.
Add broth a cupful at a time whisking constantly. Bring to a boil. Tie parsley springs, thyme and bay leaf together with kitchen twine. Add the herb bundle and salt to soup. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the dumpling mixture. In a sauce pan, bring the 1 cup of milk, 1 tsp butter and dash of salt to a boil. Add the wheat farina. Stir until mixture is thickened. Cool until mixture is barely warm. Add beaten egg and mix well.
Add chicken to soup and bring to a boil. Using two spoons, drop dumpling mixture by 1/2 teaspoons into boiling soup. Cook for 5 minutes or until done.
Remove soup from heat. Remove and discard herb bundle.
Stir the heavy cream and sherry into soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.