Chicken Noodle Soup with Dumplings

I have never much been a fan of Chicken Noodle Soup. I know, I know. How is this possible? Just like how I am not much a fan of chocolate. *gasp*

In any event, for whatever reason, I decided I needed to make Chicken Noodle Soup. I have been feeling like I am coming down with something and with Christmas just a mere 5 days away, who wants to be sick! Everyone knows all about the amazing benefits of homemade stock, so I figure, why not.

The evening prior we had a roast chicken for dinner. What was once scary and intimidating to me (roasting a whole chicken) has become an easy, go-to meal for me when I don't want much fuss over making dinner. It's now just become habit that I make stock afterwards with the carcass.

Just a quick run down on what I put in my stock - carrots, celery, 10 (or so) peppercorns, a large clove of garlic and an onion. I brown all that up in the stock pot, add the chicken carcass and any meat I am not saving, fill the pot with water and a few glugs of apple cider vinegar and we're good to go. I bring it to a boil, let it boil for a few minutes, take it down to a simmer and then let it go all night. When I wake up in the morning, I strain it into jars and into the fridge it goes. Really, it couldn't be more easy.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Dumplings
Serves 2 hungry adults with a smidge of leftovers

2 Carrots, diced
3 stalks Celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1 package of egg noodles
1-2 cup(s) of cooked chicken, diced
10 cups homemade Chicken stock
extra virgin olive oil & butter

Coat the bottom of your soup pot with 1 tbsp (or so) of butter and some olive oil. Heat it up and then add in your carrots and celery - saute. After about 8-10 minutes, add in the onion and continue to saute about 5-8 minutes or so. Added in diced garlic until fragrant - no more than minute or so - you don't want it to burn.

Pour in your chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Once it is at a full boil, take it down to a simmer and allow it to go at a nice simmer for at least 45 minutes.

While your soup simmers, boil water for your noodles, cook them, drain them and set them aside. I don't like to add mine into the soup until I am ladling it into my bowl. Now is also when you want to prepare your dumpling dough. My husband is a huge fan of dumplings in his chicken soup so that is why I added them. And honestly, I think it is what made all the difference for me liking Chicken Soup!

For the Dumplings

1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold (I use grass-fed roll butter. It is much softer than the stick butter and makes it much easier to work with in a recipe like this!)
Herbs or Seasoning of your choice. I chose to sprinkle in a little Old Bay since my husband isn't a huge herb fan.

Mix your dry ingredients together. Cut in your butter - if you have a soft roll butter like I use, it is so easy you can just crumble it in with your fingers. Add in your milk and then mix it all together.

Bring your soup back up to a gentle boil. Drop the dough mixture by small spoonfuls into your soup. You can make them larger if your prefer larger dumplings, but I think they cook up nicer when they are smaller. Cover the pot and cook 5 minutes or so, then uncover, flip over the dumplings to their other side, cover and cook another 10-15 minutes until they are cooked through.

Once the dumplings are finished, added noodles to your soup bowl, then ladle in your soup and dumplings - enjoy!

One thing I might like to add next time is some Turmeric - just a tad. I was reading about the wonderful health benefits of Turmeric and I think I would like it in my Chicken Soup - but hubby, probably not!