Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

0 of 18 out on the counter

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup, 160 g)
• 3 celery ribs, sliced (about 1½ cups, 150 g)
• 3 carrots, sliced (about 1½ cups, 190 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp black pepper
• DUMPLINGS: ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp 2% milk
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Warm the 3 tbsp oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery and carrots for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
2. 2Sprinkle on the ¼ cup flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the broth a little at a time, stirring so there are no lumps.
3. 3Add the bay leaves, thyme and pepper, and lay the chicken breasts in the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn it down, cover, and simmer 28 to 30 minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 °F. At 5,300 ft simmering takes about a quarter longer than the 20 to 25 minutes it takes at sea level.
4. 4Lift the chicken to a board. Pull out the bay leaves. Once the chicken has cooled a bit, shred it with two forks and stir it back into the pot. Bring the soup back to a simmer.
5. 5While it comes up, stir the two flours, baking powder and ¾ tsp salt in a bowl. Stir the 2 tbsp oil into the milk, pour it over the flour and stir just until it holds together. A soft, sticky dough is right; more stirring makes tough dumplings.
6. 6Drop the dough in 12 spoonfuls into the simmering pot, three or four at once, spaced apart. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on and do not lift it. Cook 20 to 22 minutes, a quarter longer than at sea level, until a toothpick in the middle of a dumpling comes out clean.
7. 7Scatter the parsley over the pot and serve two dumplings to a bowl.
8. 8Cool leftovers in shallow containers, no more than 2 hours, then refrigerate. Reheat soup to a boil, stirring, before you eat it.