So…I was a little loosey goosey with the recipe. I just read a bunch of different recipes and played with whatever sounded good. First I browned a couple boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then covered then in water and cooked until an internal temp of 165. I took it out of the pot and shredded it with a couple forks.
Then in a larger soup pan, i sauteed some onion and celery in some olive oil. I threw in some garlic powder and salt and pepper. When they got a bit translucent, i added like 3 tbsp of flour and mixed in with the onions and celery. Then i added a bit of sherry and let that cook off/ down a bit before adding veggie stock and water.
I added carrots and potatoes and the shredded chicken. I added lots of herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary, etc) and more salt and pepper. I added some cream. I ladled a bit of the broth and potatoes (maybe 2 cups?) into a small blender. I blended it and then added it back to the soup…. this thickened things up.
When the soup was basically ready, I made the dumpling mixture which was 2 cups cake flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt and more chopped herbs sifted together. Added 2 tbsp melted butter and 3/4 cup of milk to the dry ingredients and stirred until just mixed. Took that “dough” and dropped hefty tsp sized balls into the top of the simmering soup (the balls double in size so be careful how many you add… don’t over crowd then). Then cover and let simmer for 15 min (dont peek! Dumplings need the steam to cook properly). After 15 min i tested the dumplings by poking with a knife, which came out clean so I knew they were done. And throughout i kept tasting and adding herbs and salt as needed.
Oh! And I also threw in some smoked paprika, a dash of worchestershire sauce, and a little cream cheese at some point in the process. It was a really improvisational night!
