Although many of us dread this time of year with the cold winds and grey skies, one advantage is that we do tend to make and eat a lot more soups.  I like to have several containers of homemade chicken stock in my freezer, so when colds and flu strikes, you can quickly alleviate someone’s suffering. The health benefits of real, homemade chicken stock are many, so save all your chicken cuttings and scraps, place in ziplocs in the freezer until you have a couple of pounds of chicken bones, etc.  and then cook off some stock – simmer on the stove for about 6 hours, strain and place into containers and freeze. Believe me, when it’s YOU who has the cold, it’s really great.

I’ve included a basic chicken soup recipe (for my less experienced readers), although many of you will want to use your own tried and true formula.  The dumplings, which are so delicious and comforting are a delight whether you’re sick or not. It’s a basic choux pastry dough, but instead of baking it, you are going to plop it into your soup.  Once you make it, you’ll understand why this old-fashioned soup never goes out of style.

Chicken Soup

1 medium onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup cooked chicken, diced

3/4 tsp poultry seasoning

6 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onion, celery and carrot, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or so.  Reduce heat if it starts to smoke or veggies are browning too quickly.  Add poultry seasoning, stir. Add chicken stock and chicken and cook until vegetable mixture is tender – about 15 minutes.  Add lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning.

Dumplings

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Directions

In medium saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to a boil.  Remove from heat, and quickly dump in flour and stir vigorously until dough comes away from sides of pot. Transfer to stand mixer bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating fully, until it has a satiny sheen before adding the next egg. (Eggs can be mixed by hand in the pot, but you will get a really sore arm). When all eggs are incorporated, drop by teaspoonful into simmering chicken soup. Work quickly and drop in all your dumplings, then cover pot. Bring soup to a boil and cook dumplings until they are quite expanded.  The lid will probably be lifting off the pot. At that point, turn off your soup and let it cool a bit. Enjoy. So good. I like to add some extra salt to my dumplings when serving.

bring water, butter and salt to a boil.

when butter is melted, remove from heat.

dump flour in, stirring until dough pulls away from sides of pot

when dough pulls away from sides of pot, transfer to stand mixture

add eggs, one at a time, mixing well until dough has satiny sheen.

when all the eggs are incorporated, you are ready to make dumplings

using 2 teaspoons, scoop and drop heaping teaspoons of dough into soup

when lid starts to raise off of pot, turn heat off, and let cool for a few minutes

dumplings will look like this after they calm down.

wicked