Homemade Chicken and Dumplin make me feel better soup

One of my most favorite gifts that I received for our wedding: The Lodge Pot. A new light an has entered my life. This bright red enameled cast iron pot has cast a new light on my kitchen and my cooking too! I've been battling a cold the last few days and craved a nice pot of homemade chicken dumplin soup. So, I started with the onions, garlic, chicken and stock and allowed the whole afternoon to create a make you feel all better soup in my brand new Lodge Pot. It was absolutely perfectly yummy and yes, it did make me feel better.

Hip Hip Hooray to Homemade Chicken and Dumplin make me feel better soup and cheers to my new Lodge Pot!

I've had a few requests for the recipe, so here it is.

Soup:

2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion diced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
3/4 small bag of baby carrots (about 1 1/2 cups)
16 oz chicken broth
1 1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp parsley ( I used dried)
2 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne (adjust to your liking - we like it spicy so I add more)
4-6 chicken legs ( you can use any part of the chicken, but I like to use the darker meats for a richer flavor or breast meat that still has the bone)
Salt and Pepper to taste

~ In large soup pot over medium heat: saute onion, garlic, celery until onion begins to turn soft. Add parsley, oregano, cayenne and let the heat mix the flavors for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
~ Slowly add Chicken Broth and water.
~ Add Chicken, Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tender and chicken is done. Remove chicken and allow it to cool enough to handle.   
~ Add carrots once chicken is removed. Keep broth at a simmer.
~ Bone the chicken, discarding all skin, bones and cartilage, and tear meat into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Homemade Dumplin's:

Ok, when my mom would make these, she would roll out the dough and cut them into strips for noodles. She would also have a handful of us kids pile up these noodles on a paper plate, take them over to the stove and drop them in the simmering broth one by one. Yes, I sometimes do this, but when I'm not feeling good and just want my soup I drop them in the broth a half teaspoon at a time. So, it's your choice.


1 cup unbleached flour
1 egg
1/4 c milk ( may be a little more or less, I eyeball it. Just pour a little at a time until the dough becomes a dough)
2-3 Tbsp chives
Salt to taste


~ In a mixing bowl: Flour, egg, milk chives and salt. Mix all ingredients together until you get a good sticky dough. 
~ If you choose to drop the dough in, drop dumplins at 1/2 tsp size drops into simmering soup. 
~ If you choose to roll out the dough,  roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into strips, no larger than about 2 x 2 inches. (The dumplings will plump up when they are cooked.) 
~ Bring broth to a boil before you drop the dumplings in.
~ Cook dumplings 10-15 minutes with a medium simmer. The flour in the dumplings will thicken the broth, and it is absolutely not necessary to thicken it further. 

~Return de-boned chicken to the broth to warm. Remove from heat and serve. 

Makes 6-8 servings.

If you know me, you know I don't measure much when I cook - baking on the other hand is a science but cooking for me just happens. I have given the best measurements that I feel I can give for this recipe, so please adjust to your liking but overall it's a great base to start with.

Enjoy!