Easy Chicken & Dumpling Soup

- 1 chicken breast

- biscuit dough (3/4 of a roll)

- 2-3 whole carrots (sliced and peeled)

- 1/3 cup celery (diced)

- 1/2 white onion (diced)

- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)

- chicken broth or chicken bouillon

- salt

- pepper

- parsley

This recipe is simple to make with delicious stick-to-the-bone dumplings, with a twist. Traditionally, chicken and dumplings would be served with copious amounts of gravy. While we all love gravy, this allows the herbs and delicious flavors to shine without being overpowered. Additionally, creating a soup shaves off a few calories.

Steps:

1 - Cook your chicken! Put the chicken on a greased baking pan. No need to season, as it will create a crispy skin, which is not the best for a consistent soup. 450 degrees for 20 minutes will do the trick. Turn over after 10 minutes to bake evenly. Once cooked, shred. Using a kitchen scissor makes shredding significantly easier. While your chicken bakes, you may proceed to the next steps.

2 - Chop your veggies! You can slice it and dice it any way you like. Put it to the side until it's time to throw it all into the pot.

3 - Make those dumplings! This part is super simple. Simply take out the raw biscuit dough and roll into small balls. The size of the dumpling is up to you. Of course, dumplings that are small enough to fit on a spoon are easier to eat and cook faster! It is also important to keep in mind that your dumplings will rapidly expand once added to the soup.

4 - Time to combine! The amount of broth or water you use is up to you. As long as you have enough liquid to submerge all ingredients, you're good. You can always add additional broth or water later if you prefer a soup that is less thick. Throw in all of your veggies and chicken. Wait on the dumplings. If you opted to use bouillon, add that now, to taste. If using bouillon, you will want to be careful with how much you use. It typically is high in sodium and it is very easy to over-season. Boil for 15 minutes.

5 - Throw in the best part! Add your dumplings to your soup. Your dumplings will quickly expand once introduced to the boiling broth. If they are too large, simply stir and cut in half on the side of the pot while they cook. Stir for the first 2-3 minutes of adding the dumplings to your soup to prevent them from sticking together. Add in your seasonings of salt, pepper, and parsley to taste. There is a bit of freedom here, you can add additional seasonings if you so choose. One example would be adding cayenne pepper seasoning if you want a spicier soup. Boil 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

6 - ENJOY! Highly recommended for a crisp fall evening or a chilly winter night. Excellent comfort food for any time.

Closing thoughts:

Essentially, chicken and dumpling soup is barely different than your average chicken noodle soup, and sports most of the same ingredients. However, there is nothing quite like a soft dumpling. One of the best parts about this delectable recipe is that it is so easy to make a large batch and share with your family and friends! No one needs to know that the dumplings are as easy as rolling biscuit dough into balls. For those who are especially dedicated, you can make the dough from scratch as well! Not only that, but the recipe can be made even easier than it already is if you would rather skip cutting your own veggies. Chicken and dumpling soup is just as delicious using frozen veggies or fresh chicken from your local deli!