Chicken Dumpling Soup
We’re having another Kitchen Conversation with Land O’Lakes! This time, the topic is Modernizing Vintage Recipes. We all have those family favorites that, let’s be honest, need a little refresh for our current dinner table. I came up with a vintage recipe that needs some updating to match our newly updated kitchen! When we moved to North Carolina from the Midwest, one of the first things I noticed was the differences in cooking techniques. In the South, cornbread is cooked in a skillet with bacon grease, unlike the tall, pillowy cornbread I was used to. Grits are the breakfast side of choice, not home fries or cream of wheat. And dumplings were noodles. Say what?!?
Chicken and Dumpling Soup Memories
Growing up, every chicken and dumplings recipe I ever ate had dumplings that were dropped from a spoon. Dumplings were dumped, not cut into noodles. These morsels of dough simmered in the gravy until puffed into little balls of carby deliciousness. The irregular shapes and moist centers were part of the appeal. Yet here in the South, friends tell stories of standing on a wooden stool while Great-Granny presses the dough out on the countertop. Then she let her grandbabies take turns cutting it into short, fat noodles with a pizza cutter. Whether you prefer the dropped dumplings or noodle dumplings, one thing is for certain: A good chicken and dumplings recipe equals a hefty serving of nostalgia and a whole lot of love. However… the last time I ate classic chicken and dumplings, I felt like I had a brick in my belly. I’m just not accustomed to eating such heavy dishes any more. It made me think this vintage recipe was ready for a little “modernizing.” So today I’ve made an updated version of my favorite chicken and dumplings recipe, Chicken and Dumpling Soup! I ditched the heavy cream gravy and hulky dumplings for a thin, savory broth with mini parmesan-herb dumplings. The fact that the chicken and dumplings aren’t drowning in gravy really allows the fresh, herbal flavors to shine. Also, this easy Chicken-n-Dumpling Soup takes much less time to cook because it uses chicken breasts instead of whole chicken. I added a third of the butter I would normally use in my traditional chicken and dumplings recipe. Land O Lakes® Butter in Half Sticks made it easy to pull just the right amount out of the fridge. Using Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt created a rich, satisfying undertone. Really, who needs gravy? Modernizing is a good thing. Even when it comes to our most beloved dishes. I honestly believe Grandma would approve.
Ingredients for Chicken and Dumplings Soup
This chicken soup with dumplings may look like it has a long ingredient list, but don’t get intimidated! It is super easy to make with some simple, pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need:
Chicken breast – chopped into bite sized chunks Onion Garlic Celery & Carrots – for texture Ground Mustard Ground Turmeric – for color Bay leaf Chicken Stock Parsley Flour Parmesan cheese Thyme leaves Rosemary Milk
How to Make Chicken Dumpling Soup
Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots for 8–10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add the mustard, turmeric, bay leaf, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Throw the ingredients for the dumplings in a bowl and whisk with a fork into a wet dough. Then bring the soup back up to a boil and stir in the chicken and parsley. Spoon in small lumps of dough to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes further, then remove the bay leaf and serve warm. Check the printable recipe card below for the prep time, cook time, total time, and nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber percentages. Disclosure: A Spicy Perspective has partnered with Land O’Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes® Butter for their Kitchen Conversation blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes. Share This Recipe With Friends!
