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The time change is this weekend, which means that spring is nearly upon us. Yet I’m still making soup, and I will continue probably through summer! But at least this soup isn’t a super heavy one, so it could work even in summer! I did make some tweaks to it, though, which is bound to happen after making it 3 times in a couple months. 🙂 The first time I tried making chicken and dumplings, it came out bland and not very good at all. I just assumed that’s how all chicken and dumplings must be, but boy was I wrong! This has definitely come to be one of my favorite soups (or stews… whatever you want to consider it), and I’m so glad I gave chicken and dumplings another chance.

Since I love to have leftovers, I found I needed to up the chicken broth or else it all got absorbed while sitting in the frig. And it never hurts to have some more broth in your soup! My husband and I also found the dumplings in the original recipe to taste a little off, so I went with my own favorite dumpling recipe. Of course, if you have your own, go ahead and use it. It will only make the soup taste that much better!Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken Stew:
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 small onions, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4‑inch pieces
1 celery rib, chopped fine
¼ cup dry sherry
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
¾ cup milk

To make the stew: Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until skin is well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken pieces and brown on second side, 5 to 7 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Discard all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to now-empty pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Deglaze the pan with sherry, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot; stir in broth and thyme. Return chicken thighs, with any accumulated juices, to pot. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until meat is cooked and tender, but still clings to bones, 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and transfer chicken to cutting board. Allow broth to settle 5 minutes, then skim fat from surface. When chicken is slightly cooled, remove and discard skin. Using fingers or fork, pull meat from chicken thighs and cut into 1‑inch pieces; return meat to pot.

To make the dumplings: Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add melted butter and milk and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated.

Return stew to simmer, stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scoop dumpling batter by the rounded tablespoon over top of stew, spacing about ¼-inch apart. Wrap lid of Dutch oven with clean kitchen towel, keeping towel away from heat source, and cover pot. Simmer gently until dumplings have doubled in size and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 13 to 16 minutes. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Annie’s Eats

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