Mom's Chicken and Dumplings

A classic comfort food recipe featuring tender chicken in a rich broth with homemade dumplings made with lard. This hearty dish includes optional egg noodles and low-carb alternatives for a complete family meal.

Ingredients

  • For The Soup
  • 6 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Cup yellow onion chopped
  • 1 Cup carrots, julienne
  • 1 Cup celery, sliced diagonal
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 48 oz chicken stock, heated
  • 4 Cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • 1 Salt and white pepper
  • 1 Extra wide egg noodles
  • For The Dumplings
  • 1.75 cup flour
  • 0.33 Cup lard
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.75 Cup milk
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to wilt, and onions become translucent, do not brown. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
  3. Add flour and stir to make a blond roux. Cook for one additional minute.
  4. Add the heated chicken stock and quickly stir to combine.
  5. Next add the chicken and thyme, then bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
  6. While the soup simmers, let us make the dumplings.
  7. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and lard until all are well mixed and until mixture is course granules.
  8. Slowly add the milk in tiny amounts and mix until combined and becomes one ball.
  9. Not all milk may be needed.
  10. On a floured surface, knead a few times until smooth.
  11. Add extra flour to the work area, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to approximately one-eighth to ¼ inch thick.
  12. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips approximately 1" across and 2" to 3" in length.
  13. Slowly and gently drop the dumplings into the simmering soup and allow them to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until nice and tender.
  14. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  15. Serve over extra wide egg noodles, if desired. My mom would put ¼ Cup of cooked noodles in the bowl, then add the chicken and dumplings. Make it more into a chicken noodle soup with dumplings.