Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

The night after I roast a chicken--I like to not waste anything. You can turn left over chicken into the base of many different recipes like basic broth, sandwiches, or Chicken and Dumplings. I love Chicken and Dumplings--it's savory creamy soup with hearty root vegetables and the nice fluffy dumplings.

I am still trying to find the perfect recipe for Chicken and Dumplings or should I say combination of recipes, because all I need is a better Dumpling recipe.  I've tried traditional flour and the Dumplings will come out dense, I've also tried using Pillsbury's frozen biscuits but I didn't like the texture, the best Dumplings recipe I've found to date was a British Dumpling product that I found in the long extinct British food section in Nesters.  What I liked about the British Dumplings was that it incorporated lard into the flour and the results was a satisfying Dumpling you could just eat without the Gravy. In my next attempt, I'll try out Bisquick (but only if I don't have to commit to a massive cereal sized box) and in this recipe I use Dr. Oetker's Pancake/Biscuit mix. 

Dr. Oetker's Dumplings steamed into a nice fluffy texture but a little sweet. Next time Bisquick. 

Ingredients

Roasted Chicken left overs - meat separated from bones and chopped (bones can be used for other purposes i.e. broth)

• 1 swig of Olive Oil
• 3 Celery, chopped
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 1 Parsnip
• 1 handful of frozen Peas
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 chicken Bouillon cube
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cream of Celery/Chicken/Mushroom soup

Dumplings:

• Dr. Oetker's Pancake/Biscuit Mix

Directions

Heat Wok and add oil. Add ingredients Celery to Parsnip to wok. Cook for several minutes or until the Onions start turning golden. Add Bouillon cube to Wok and stir well. Add water to cover vegetable mixture by 1 or 2 inches. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add chicken meat to the pot. Keep warm over low heat.

Prepare the dumplings: per instructions  

Add Peas and cream of celery soup to the pot and simmer gently over medium-low heat. Taste the Soup--if too flavorful, add more water. If not flavorful enough add Salt and Pepper to taste. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces and add to simmering soup. Do not stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, ladle Soup and Dumplings into warm bowls.