Classic Chicken and Dumpling Soup

INGREDIENTS:

Soup:

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into pieces

8 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preparing the Soup

Cook the Chicken: In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the chicken pieces, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove and Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat, discarding the bones and skin. Set aside.

Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pot, add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Combine Ingredients: Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let the soup simmer on low heat while you prepare the dumplings.

Making the Dumplings

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the milk and melted butter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the dumplings dense.

Drop Dumplings into Soup: Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the simmering soup. Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook for about 15 minutes. Do not uncover the pot while the dumplings are cooking, as this will affect their fluffiness.