Grilled Chicken and Pasta

A warm chicken and dumpling soup packed with yummy veggies.
Directions for: Farm-Style Chicken and Drop Dumplings

Ingredients

Chicken Soup

Two 3-pound chickens, each cut into 6 pieces and backbones reserved

cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

6 medium carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 stalks celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 large leeks, white part only, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces and soaked in cold water to remove grit

2 medium yellow onions, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 Tbsp poultry seasoning

cup all-purpose flour

Dumplings

2 cups flour

cup milk, plus more if needed

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Chicken Soup

1. Place the chicken pieces and the backbones in a large pot and cover with 16 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and poach the chicken until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces and set aside to cool; discard the backbones. Once the chicken cools enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones, shred and roughly chop; set aside. Strain the chicken broth and keep warm.

3. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and stir in the carrots, garlic, celery, leeks, onions and poultry seasoning. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes, then stir in the flour.

4. Add the reserved chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the soup thickens slightly and vegetables soften, about 25 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken and bring the soup back to a low simmer.

Dumplings

1. In a medium bowl, add the flour. Use two butter knives to cut in the milk, butter, baking powder, salt and eggs. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. The dough should be moist but not too wet.

2. Pull the dough into 1/4-cup pieces and place directly in the simmering soup; cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

See more: Chicken, Easy, Eggs/Dairy, Main, Poultry, Soup, Vegetables, Comfort Food