There are few dishes that taste more like Southern hospitality than Southern Dumplings. This homemade chicken soup is just to die for! The broth comes from literally boiling a whole chicken until it’s tender, juicy, and savory, but then comes the best part: the homemade dumplings, infused inside and out with poultry flavor, boiled until tender and puffed in the broth! Everything about Southern Dumplings is just so comforting! Why not relax a while and let a steaming bowl of it melt your worries away?
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 (6-pound) whole chicken
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 4 quarts water, plus more, to taste
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more, to taste, for dusting a work surface and for the dough
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- fresh herbs, such as parsley leaves, optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the chicken, the carrots, the celery, and the onion.
Step 2 –Add 4 quarts of the water, the vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of the salt to the pot, adding the extra water as needed to ensure the chicken is fully submerged.
Step 3 –Bring the chicken mixture to a boil.
Step 4 –Reduce the heat to low.
Step 5 –Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer until the meat nearly falls off the bones and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 6 –Transfer the chicken from the broth and allow it to cool.
Step 7 –Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the collected vegetables.
Step 8 –Return the strained broth to the pot.
Step 9 –Set aside 1 cup of the broth and allow it to cool slightly.
Step 10 –Shred the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones.
Step 11 –Cut the meat into bite-size pieces, set it aside, and keep it warm.
Step 12 –In a bowl, add 2 cups of the flour and the remaining salt and whisk to combine.
Step 13 –Make a well in the flour mixture and add the egg to the well.
Step 14 –Gradually stir 1/4 cup of the reserved broth into the egg, picking up and incorporating the flour mixture while stirring. Continue until the flour is all incorporated, adding more of the reserved broth as needed until the dough resembles the consistency of pie dough. Return any of the remaining broth back into the stockpot.
Step 15 –Continue to add the reserved chicken broth to the well and incorporate the flour mixture gradually as you stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough resembles the consistency of a pie dough. You may not need all of the reserved broth; return any remaining broth to the pot.
Step 16 –Using the extra flour, dust a work surface.
Step 17 –Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface and knead the dough until stiff.
Step 18 –Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Step 19 –Return the dough back to the floured work surface, adding more of the extra flour as needed, and roll out the dough into a 17-inch square.
Step 20 –Cut the dough square into 1-inch pieces and dust the dough pieces with the extra flour.
Step 21 –Let the dough pieces dry, about 30-60 minutes.
Step 22 –Bring the remaining broth to a boil on the stovetop.
Step 23 –Carefully drop the dumplings into the boiling broth.
Step 24 –Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
Step 25 –Simmer the dumplings until a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
Step 26 –Add the reserved chicken and the pepper to the pot and stir to combine.
Step 27 –Serve garnished with the fresh herbs.
