Veggie Chicken and Dumplings from Virginia

America's culinary talents for Veggie Chicken and Dumplings date back to 1879 when Marion Cabell Tyee's cookbook, Housekeeping in Old Virginia, was introduced.

It is an old recipe that has been made in so many ways but the ancestors of this country made dinner back then with raised chicken and cut-up veggies that they grew on the farm. To think that they would then meet in their sewing circle and share recipes to use up what was left on the farm in colder months. A life of farming and cooking to feed your family was a way of life if you wanted to survive in the 1800s.

Now I'm sure there are many homemade dumpling recipes around the world, but chicken and homemade dumplings are a classic southern dish. Fluffy dumplings dance in the middle of a warm chicken and veggie broth that makes my heart pound just from the smell in the air I can't wait for that perfect bite! Now let's travel back in time and make a Virginia classic veggie and chicken dumplings for dinner tonight!

Simple Ingredients from Grocery Stores

• onion
• carrots
• parsnip
• celery stalk
• peas
• chicken stock or vegetable broth
• garlic cloves
• bay leaves
• thyme
• fresh parsley or dry parsley
• boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite size pieces, or 1 ½ cups rotisserie chicken
• Einkorn Wheat Flour - the best flour!
• Parmigiano cheese (optional)
• baking powder
• unsalted butter or olive oil
• cold milk
• Salt and Black Pepper if desired

How to Make Veggie Chicken and Dumplings

I used a big soup pot to make this soup so the dumplings had plenty of room to expand in the soup.

Soup:

1. In a large bowl, I always washed my veggies by soaking them in water with salt, then I rinse and cut up my mixed vegetables into bite-size.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat then add onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, bay leaf, thyme, and salt, and cook for 4 minutes.
3. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Add peas and chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

Dumplings:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, Parmigiano, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter. Stir in milk then gently knead the dumpling batter.
2. Dust the parchment paper with 1 tablespoon of flour. Add 2 spoons full of flour to a small plate. Roll 1 tablespoon of dumpling dough into a tight ball, then roll the ball in flour and place it on the parchment.
3. Drop dumplings one at a time in the soup so that they are not touching. Do NOT stir them.
4. Cook for 15 minutes on very low heat, covered.
5. Serve immediately or let cool in the pot.

Variations

The are many easy recipes to choose from to make homemade dumpling soup. Here are a few ingredients that I may substitute when making this dumpling recipe depending on what is on sale at the grocery store or in the pantry.

• Can of Corn and Spinach
• Bouillion cubes instead
• Garlic powder instead of garlic cloves if I'm out of fresh.
• Nutritional Yeast instead of Parmigiano to make it a vegan version
• Vegetable broth instead of Chicken broth for a vegan version
•  Plant Milk verse Whole milk for a vegan version
• All purpose flour verse wheat flour.

Tips And Tricks

• I cut all my root veggies about the same size so they all cook evenly.
• Dusting the dumplings with flour before adding them to the stock helps to hold their shape and as for the flour that escapes into the soup, it gives it a thick and creamy base.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make it ahead of time?
This soup is better the next day and can be made ahead of time. It is best to make the soup part and then make the dumpling the next day.

Have Leftovers?
If you have any leftovers, I always place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing dumplings, they are not as formed once unfrozen and cooked.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I enjoy eating it. See ya next time as my quest continues in search of the perfect bite!

More Soup Recipes

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Veggie Chicken and Dumplings

Lizzy Cascalheira

Fluffy dumplings dancing in the middle of carrots, onions, and parsnips with green peas in a thick chicken soup. Perfect for a cold winter night.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 434 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Large soup pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Making Soup

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion minced
• 2 cups carrots diced
• 1 cup celery stalk diced
• 2 cups parsnips diced
• 1 cup peas frozen
• ⅛ teaspoon salt and black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 ½ cups boneless chicken thigh cut into small dice

Making Dumplings

• 1 cup Einkorn Wheat Flour plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons Parmigiano grated
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
• ⅓ cup milk

Instructions

 

Soup

• In a large bowl, I always washed my veggies by soaking them in water with salt, then I rinse and cut up my mixed vegetables into bite-size.
  
• In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat then add onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, bay leaf, thyme, and salt, and cook for 4 minutes.
  
• Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Add peas and chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
  

Dumplings

• In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, Parmigiano, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter. Stir in milk then gently knead the dumpling batter.
  
• Dust the parchment paper with 1 tablespoon of flour. Add 2 spoons full of flour to a small plate. Roll 1 tablespoon of dumpling dough into a tight ball, then roll the ball in flour and place it on the parchment.
  
• Drop dumplings one at a time in the soup so that they are not touching. Do NOT stir them or they will fall apart.
  
• Cook for 15 minutes on very low heat, covered.
  
• Serve immediately or let cool in the pot.

Video

Notes

• I cut all my veggies about the same size so they all cook evenly.
• Dusting the dumplings with flour before adding them to the stock helps to hold them together and the flour that escapes into the soup will make it thick and creamy.

Nutrition

Serving: 6gCalories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 21gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 851mgPotassium: 934mgFiber: 8gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 7728IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 3mg

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