Spring Chicken Dumplings (Printable Recipe)
You get chicken, asparagus, peas, and super soft dumplings tossed with herbs. It’s all cooked in one pot for a warm, feel-good dish.
# Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Soup
01 -
1 zucchini, diced
02 -
120 millilitres frozen peas
03 -
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 5 cm chunks, toss out tough ends
04 -
900 grams chicken, skin-on and bone-in—try legs, thighs, breasts, or just mix it up
05 -
8 cups chicken broth
06 -
4 sprigs fresh thyme
07 -
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
08 -
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
09 -
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
10 -
1 large leek, use just the white and pale green part, wash and chop up
11 -
1 yellow onion, chopped
12 -
3 tablespoons olive oil
→ Dumplings
13 -
Freshly ground black pepper, as much as you like
14 -
120 millilitres mixed herbs—dill, chives, parsley, even amounts, chopped
15 -
55 grams unsalted butter, diced and cold
16 -
1 large egg
17 -
180 millilitres cold buttermilk
18 -
2 teaspoons kosher salt
19 -
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
20 -
1 teaspoon baking powder
21 -
250 grams all-purpose flour
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Spoon the soup and those fluffy dumplings into bowls. Sprinkle with extra chives, dill, parsley, and plenty of cracked black pepper if you feel like it.
02 -
Pop the lid back on the pot and simmer about 12 minutes. The dumplings should puff up and get cooked through.
03 -
Pop shredded chicken back in. Pour in zucchini, peas, and asparagus. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you want. Get the soup hot and gently simmering. Scoop spoonfuls of dough (golf ball size) and drop them right into the hot broth.
04 -
Mix buttermilk blend into the flour mix. Toss in chopped herbs. Gently stir everything until it's just coming together—a rough, sticky dough is perfect. Pop in the fridge, covered, until you're set to use it.
05 -
While the chicken’s poaching, whisk your egg with buttermilk in a little bowl. Do your dry mix—flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper—in a big bowl. Toss in the diced butter and squish it through the flour with your fingers or a pastry cutter till it looks like grainy crumbs.
06 -
Pull out the chicken and let it cool off a bit. Shred it into small, bite-size pieces—ditch the skin and bones.
07 -
Add chicken and chicken stock to the pot. Let it boil, then immediately turn it down to a gentle simmer. Put the lid on and let it cook till the chicken's done, about 30 to 40 minutes.
08 -
Next, toss in the ground fennel, coriander, thyme, and a nice pinch of salt. Let everything toast for a minute till you can smell the spices.
09 -
Pour the olive oil into a big pot or Dutch oven. Heat it on medium-high, then toss in onion, leek, and garlic. Stir now and then for about 10 minutes—let everything get soft, but don’t let it brown up.
# Extra Tips:
01 -
You can use breasts, thighs, or legs, or a combo—rotisserie chicken works if you want to save time.
02 -
Spring veggies like asparagus, peas, leeks, and zucchini work great here. Feel free to swap in carrots, potatoes, fava beans, kale, or broccoli if that’s what you have.
03 -
If you’re saving leftovers, keep the dumplings and veggies separate from the broth so they won’t get soggy. Everything keeps fine in the fridge for up to 4 days.