Chicken and Dumpling Soup

 Ingredients

For the Soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced

1 cup frozen peas

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Dumplings:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, cold and cubed

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the Soup Base:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the thyme and rosemary, and then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the Dumplings:

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in the milk until just combined. Don’t overmix. The dough should be thick.

Cook the Dumplings:

Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the simmering soup. You should get about 8-10 dumplings.

Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook for 10-15 minutes, or until they are puffed and cooked through. Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking.

Serve:

Gently stir the soup to ensure the dumplings are evenly distributed. Serve hot.

Enjoy!