Homemade Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch🍖 Main

IngredientsCopy

For the Chicken Stock

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 to 4 lbs)
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 10 cups cold water
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

For the Soup

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt to taste

For the Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup cold buttermilk

For Garnish

• Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Make the Chicken Stock

1. Step 1: Place the whole chicken, quartered onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1 tbsp salt in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water.
2. Step 2: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Skim any foam, cover partially, and simmer for 1.5 hours until the chicken is tender.
3. Step 3: Remove the chicken and let it cool. Strain the stock into a bowl, discarding the boiled vegetables. You should have 6-8 cups of stock. Shred the chicken meat, discarding bones and skin.

Prepare the Soup

1. Step 4: In a Dutch oven, melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion, carrots, and celery for 5-7 minutes until soft.
2. Step 5: Sprinkle in 3 tbsp flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 6 cups of the homemade stock. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.
3. Step 6: Stir in the shredded chicken and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep at a gentle simmer.

Make the Dumplings

1. Step 7: In a bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 tsp salt. Cut in the cold, cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Step 8: Gently stir in the buttermilk just until a dough forms. Do not overmix.

Cook and Serve

1. Step 9: Drop golf-ball-sized spoonfuls of dough onto the simmering soup. Cover tightly with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and steam undisturbed for 15 minutes.
2. Step 10: Remove the lid, ladle into bowls, and garnish with fresh parsley.