Chicken and Basil Dumplings

I found this recipe in my Cooking Light Best Chicken Recipes magazine. The original recipe made rosemary dumplings but since my husband and I don't care for rosemary, I decided to use basil instead. This recipe was very easy to make and tasted FANTASTIC. It really hit the spot after being sick for so long. I loved the dumplings and the rich broth filled with chunks of chicken, carrots and celery. My kids and husband also agreed that it was a delicious dinner and my daughter asked if she could have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I will be making this recipe over and over.

Chicken and Basil Dumplings:

Adapted recipe from For the Love of Cooking.net

Original Recipe from Cooking Light Best Chicken Recipes

Soup:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 cups of chicken broth (I used homemade)
• 2 cups of roasted chicken, shredded
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, celery and minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, dried basil, bouillon granules, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on medium low for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Dumplings:

• 1 1/4 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine the flour with basil, garlic powder, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. But in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

Remaining Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Add the chicken to the soup then taste to re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed; bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Combine the cornstarch with the chicken broth and mix thoroughly to make a slurry. Add slurry to the soup, simmer for 3 minutes.

Drop dumpling dough, 1-2 tsp per dumpling, (I used two spoons to drop them into the soup) into the chicken soup. Cover and cook for 7 minutes (DO NOT LET THE BROTH BOIL). Add the chopped parsley to the soup and serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net