Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Broth

• ▢ 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds, cut into pieces*
• ▢ 1 yellow onion cut into quarters
• ▢ 3 large carrots cut into thirds
• ▢ 3 ribs celery cut into thirds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• ▢ 1 bay leaf or a ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning, optional
• ▢ 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 4 tablespoons cornstarch plus 4 tablespoons water

For the Dumplings

• ▢ 1¾ cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
• ▢ ⅓ cup shortening
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¾ cup milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

• In a large soup pot, combine the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf.

• Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. While the broth is simmering, prepare dumplings below.

• Strain broth through cheesecloth. Shred or chop the chicken and discard the skin and bones. Chop the vegetables if desired (or discard). Set aside.

• Add the strained broth back to the pot. Bring to a boil and gently add dumplings to broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

• Stir chicken (and vegetables if desired) into the broth and cook about 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

To Make the Dumplings

• Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening with a fork or pastry cutter until shortening is the size of small crumbs.

• Add milk a little at a time and mix until combined (you may not need all of it, you want a soft but not sticky dough).

• Knead 5-6 times on a floured surface until dough is smooth.

• Generously flour your surface and roll the dough out to ⅛-inch thick. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch x 2-inch strips. Flour generously to avoid sticking.

• Cook in broth as directed above.

To Thicken the Broth

• In a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons water.

• Add to boiling broth a little bit at a time stirring to reach desired consistency.

• Chicken: *The whole chicken can be replaced with 3 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs.
• Vegetables: Carrots and celery can be served on the side or chopped and added to the broth along with the chicken. If adding to the broth, frozen peas can be added.
• Seasonings: While I’ve kept the seasonings simple, any of the following can be added to the broth: ¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, ¼ teaspoon ground sage.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American