Month-of-Few Ingredients: Dumpling the Chicken Soup

I loved the simplicity of this Chicken Dumpling Soup the first time I came across it from one of my favorite cooks, a Valley of the Sun celebrity here in the Phoenix metro area. Jan D’Atri is a wonderful cook and a very creative recipe developer and modifier. Check her out for some spectacular foods made easy.

Another thing I liked about the soup was the spaetzle, a German-style “dumpling” that isn’t in balls of dough, but strings of it. Pre-DH, waaaay pre-DH, I used to make a mushroom broth with spaetzle that I had forgotten about. Gotta recall what I did. I know I served it with beef roulades.

When I make chicken soup with or without dumplings, I usually, I cook down chicken parts I threw in the freezer after eating roast chicken. I do this so I have some chunks of chicken floating around in my chicken and dumpling soup. I also put in carrots, celery, onion to flavor it up a bit more. And it takes hours.

When you need a tasty chicken soup faster than that, say for someone who is down with the sniffles, this will fill the bill. In keeping with the theme this month, you can see this recipe has four ingredients (plus salt). If you wanted to expand it by adding some leftover chicken or some of that peas and carrots side dish in the fridge, feel free to do so. But here is the unadulterated version, as Jan presented it.

I served this for lunch recently with a toasted cheese sandwich and some fruit. I modified the original recipe by adding green onions for color and flavor.

Dumpling the Chicken Soup (6-8 servings)

2 quarts chicken broth (homemade or canned)

3 large eggs

¾ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon water

Put chicken broth on stove in a medium pan and heat on medium high. Bring to boil then lower heat to a simmer.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until yolks and whites are fully incorporated.

Add in flour and salt. Continue whisking vigorously to remove all lumps.

Add water and mix again.

Hold bowl at an angle over the simmering broth. Using a teaspoon, drizzle batter into the broth creating long, skinny strings of dumplings. Quickly use all batter.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes (do a taste test on a dumpling) and serve immediately.

NOTE:

You can also scoop spoonfuls of batter into the simmering broth in globs to make gnocchi-like dumplings. For this method, dip small spoon in hot broth, then scoop up batter and put the spoon back into the broth so the dumpling drops off. Repeat until all batter gone.

DH’s Rating: 3 ½  Tongues Up “It’s good, but I’d like some chicken in it. And it’s blander than you usually make.” He's right.

If you liked this recipe, I’d really appreciate you spreading the word on your social media outlets. Here are some pre-made Twitter and Facebook posts you can use or modify.

Twitter: Easiest #recipe for Chicken Dumpling Soup you’ll ever find. Check out the post by @good2tweat at http://bit.ly/2kH5kIx

Facebook: Need a chicken soup really fast? This four-ingredient chicken and dumpling soup to the rescue! On Sharon Arthur Moore’s blog, Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time at http://bit.ly/2kH5kIx

Month-of-Chicken: Cream of Chicken Soup

Month of Chicken: Cream of Chicken Soup

Did you ever read a label for those little miracle cans of cream-of-something soups? I once read a dietician who said that if you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t eat it.

OMG. Do you really want to put unpronounceables into your body and the bodies of those you love???

On the other hand, who doesn’t love the convenience of a quick leftovers- casserole held together with cream-of-something soup? Or have you wanted to make a chicken pot pie for dinner and needed an easy but thick base liquid?

But, please, with a little planning ahead, you can avoid the unpronounceable chemicals and extra sodium of the commercially canned soups and still get the result you want. This site has your answer: http://onceamonthmom.com/homemade-cream-of-something-soup/ Clever, huh?

Based on her guidelines, here is my recipe for Cream of Chicken Soup. Use this as is for lunch or dinner or use it as you would the canned soups in your favorite go-to quick meals. Quadruple the recipe so you have enough for future use with one prep.

Cream of Chicken Soup (servings: 1 “can” or about 1½ cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ small onion, diced

½ c chicken, pre-cooked and shredded

¼ c butter

¼ c flour

1 c milk

¾ c chicken broth

Sauté garlic, onion and chicken and set aside.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add “milk” and broth.

Add garlic, onion and chicken mixture to a blender. Pour broth mixture from skillet on top. Puree mixture to a smooth liquid. Pour back into the skillet and cook over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until it reaches desired consistency (about 10-15 minutes).

Season to taste with salt and pepper and use as you would a can of condensed Cream of Something Soup in any recipe or serve as is for a meal.

Check out her site for some great Cream-of-Something soup options.

Storage:

Pour the soup into a pint canning jar and refrigerate it for up to four days or freeze in zipper lock bags in “can” portion size. Thaw before using in a favorite recipe. DO NOT CAN THIS SOUP. That is an unsafe storage option.

DH’s Rating: 3.5 Tongues Up. He likes soup, but he wants more chunks in them than this one has. Flavor good, texture lacking. I probably should add some extra chicken chunks next time along with some leftover veggies from the fridge.

A Month of Soups: Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Grandma didn’t have running water in her West Virginia home in the “hollers” of the Appalachians. I remember when she got electricity. She could finally have a light bulb in every room and a refrigerator. That was a big deal! Up until then, she used the springhouse built into the side of the mountain where the temperature was pretty even year round. But never cold enough for ice.

One of my fond memories was watching Grandma make stewed chicken and dumplings. She started out by catching one the chickens, twirling it around to break its neck, and then she dunked it in boiling water so she could pluck its feathers off. Now that is a stinky job.

Making chicken and dumplings was an all day affair in those days. She never had to pre-heat the stove; the wood-burning stove in the kitchen never went out. She just added more wood to increase the temperature. How she knew what the temperature was is unclear to me to this day. But she never burned anything and turned out delectable biscuits and other goodies.

Stewed chicken and dumplings were stovetop fare. I am not even pretending this soup is as good as Grandma’s. She never used recipes, so we have none from her. But I think my taste-o-meter is genetic from her side of the family. Thanks, Grandma!

Also, in the interest of simplicity and modern sensibilities, no killing of chickens here and no stewing chicken. We’ll just use the broth you already made along with some roasted chicken chunks you have in the freezer. Ready? Fire up the wood stove! Er, rather, turn on the oven.

Chicken and Dumplings Soup (serves 6-8)

12 pearl onions, “x” on each end

2 qt. chicken and turkey stock (combine them for more richness)

1 c baby carrots, halved

3 stalks celery, cut bite-sized

2 bay leaves

2 c chopped chicken

2 c flour

4 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 t pepper

2 t dried basil

4 T butter

1 c buttermilk

Peel paper off pearl onions and cut a small “x” in each end so they hold together while cooking. Add onions to broth. Add carrots, celery, and bay leaves, and chicken. Bring broth to a slow boil and cook for 15 minutes.

While broth is heating, mix flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and basil together. Cut in butter to make mealy dough. Add buttermilk. Mix well. The dough should be sticky but not too loose or too stiff. It should be able to drop from the spoon back into the bowl. Add more flour or buttermilk if necessary.

Adjust heat on broth to a slow simmer. Remove bay leaves. Drop dumplings a teaspoon at a time into the broth. Try to keep the dumplings from touching by dropping dough in different places around the pot. Cover when all dumplings are added.

Check after 10 minutes to see if done. Take one dumpling out and cut into it. The middle should not be raw. Return cut dumpling to the broth. If done, remove from heat and serve. If not, poach for 5 minutes longer, covered.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up! This is a flavorful, hearty soup. The basil in the dumplings adds a nice little bump of flavor. This is not quite like Grandma’s, but it is pretty darn good for flatlanders!

A Month of Soups: Albondigas

“Albondigas” is Spanish for “meatball”. This meatball soup has dozens and dozens of variants. You can “hot it up” if that is your cup of soup, or keep it milder. I prefer milder with the option for people to add heat individually.

In some of the variants, the meatballs include raw rice and are cooked in the soup from the beginning. I like to get some color on them first, and then finish the cooking in the broth.

The blend of spices makes these meatballs very different. Feel free to play with options yourself to add the flavors that your family likes best.

Albondigas Soup (serves 6-8)

Broth:

6 cups chicken or turkey broth

1 t cumin

1 t basil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 c carrot coins

½ c celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 c zucchini, sliced

1 c kale, rough-chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, seasoned

cilantro sprigs for garnish

Put all ingredients into a Dutch oven or large pot. Bring to a slow simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Let cool. Bring back to a slow boil and add meatballs.

Meatballs:

½# lean ground beef

½# ground pork

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ c onion, finely diced

2 t dried mint

1 t cumin

1 c cooked rice

1 egg, lightly mixed

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix all ingredients together and form into 20-24 meatballs. Place in pan with an edge and bake for 15 minutes. Add to slow-simmer broth. Cook for 20 minutes.

Serve with a couple of sprigs of cilantro on top. Tell them to eat that, too. It creates a delicious, fresh green burst on the tongue.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up! This soup is light, but filling. A delicious soup supper.

A Month of Soups: Chicken Noodle

I've been away, so I apologize for not posting soups. I will catch up today.

The ultimate comfort food is Chicken Noodle Soup. Of course this soup is best with your own, homemade and wonderful thick noodles, but not every one makes noodles. So, if you must buy, I suggest one of the fresh, refrigerated noodles (like Buitoni), rather than the dry ones which tend to be too thin and get too limp. Noodles ought to be able to announce their presence, stand up for themselves. But maybe that’s just me!

The best chicken soup, of course, is made by first boiling the whole chicken, skimming the scum (multiple times), straining out the veggies and whole herbs, skimming the fat, and picking the bones clean. But, we don’t have time for that today, now do we? That’s why we make broth in advance and store it in the freezer. So go to the freezer or your pantry for some prepared turkey stock and chicken stock. The combo makes for a richer flavor. Or you can use only chicken stock.

So, in the promise of keeping things simple, easy, and quick, here’s a recipe my family have enjoyed for many years.

Chicken Noodle Soup (serves ~8)

6 cups broth (half and half turkey and chicken broth is best)

2 bay leaves

1 c carrot strips, julienned

1 c diced celery

½ c diced onion

1-1½ c fettucine

2 c shredded, cooked chicken (Use leftovers in freezer or from just-picked bones)

Parsley springs for garnish and fresh green flavor.

Let the bay leaves sit in the broth for about 20 minutes prior to heating. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Bring broth and veggies to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool.

Bring broth back to a slow simmer. Add noodles. Cook for 3-5 minutes until noodles are al dente. Add chicken. Bring to a slow simmer again. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Serve with a parsley sprig on top.

DH’S Rating: 5 Tongues Up! Yep. The ultimate comfort food never fails to please. I knew this would rate well. He loved my chicken noodle soup from the first time I made it.

A Month of Soups: Tortilla Soup

This is a soup I have made for years. When we have visitors in Arizona for the first time, it’s for sure on the menu at some point. I am a wimp when it comes to heat in Southwest cuisine. I love to savor all the flavors, not be overpowered by chilies. Remember the cumin adds some heat, too.

So, knowing that, try this as written being aware you can always add more heat. I use Macayo’s diced chilies, but you could use jalapeños or others that are hotter.

Tortilla Soup (serves ~6)

4 T butter

1 lg onion, chopped

3 carrots, diced

6 ribs celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth

4 oz can diced chilies

1½ t cumin

1 t pepper

1# cooked, boneless chicken breasts or leftover chicken, diced

2 T lime juice

tortilla chips

6-12 cilantro stems

sour cream

avocado, diced

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In large pot, sauté onions in butter until translucent. Add carrots and celery and cook until they give slightly. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and chilies. Stir well. Add cumin and pepper. Stir and add in chicken.

Cook for 30 minutes at a slow simmer. When done, add in lime juice. Prepare bowls with tortilla chips in the bottom. Pour soup over the chips. Garnish with cilantro stems, sour cream, avocado, and cheese.

DH”s Rating: 5 Tongues Up! This soup is a family favorite! Make it one for yours, too. Delicious AND easy!