Adding fresh milled flour to soups and stews is a great way to increase protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. And it’s easy to do with homemade chicken and dumplings!
Chicken and dumplings is nearly a staple meal in our house. I try to always have the ingredients on hand to make a variety of chicken soups throughout the year.
After learning to use fresh milled flours, I’ve been slowly converting our family favorite meals to incorporate these whole grains.
What better way to eat healthier, than to make what you already love- just packed with more nutrients?
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The magic of dumplings
Here’s what I love about homemade dumplings:
First, they’re EASY. Of course, we’re also fans of chicken and noodles and make those frequently. But you can’t beat dumplings that don’t require any rolling, cutting, drying, etc.
Secondly, they make a nice thick broth for your soup at the end. No need to add any cornstarch or heavy cream (unless you just want to).
This particular dumpling recipe I got from my great-grandmother several years ago. I remember being newly married and sitting down at her kitchen table, where I copied several of her tried-and-true recipes by hand.
Converting all-purpose flour recipes to fresh milled flour isn’t hard.
But I’ll explain just a few things in the recipe that should make this version turn out just like the good ol’ dumplings you might have had at your grandma’s table, way back when.
How to make homemade chicken and dumplings with fresh milled flour
First, you can cook your boneless, skinless chicken however you’d like to. I often have frozen chicken tenders that I forget to thaw in time.
So I’ll cook them in the Instant Pot for 17 minutes in high pressure (with a little water in the bottom); with a quick release.
You can also cook your chicken breasts in some olive oil or butter in the same pan you’re making your chicken and dumplings in. This makes for less dishes (I’m a fan).
I typically use my large 8-quart enameled dutch oven for our family of six. If you happen to have an oval one, it makes it easier to fill with dumplings!
Once chicken is cooked through, remove from soup pot and set aside to cool.
Like many good soups and stews, you’ll then dice onions, celery and carrots and sauté in olive oil until tender – about 10 minutes on medium heat.
Chicken stock (about 8 cups) is then added to the pot, along with some water and spices (parsley and sage).
Read next: How to make and pressure can homemade chicken broth
While you continue to heat the stock mixture, you’ll shred your chicken and add it back to the pot, along with a little milk. (We get raw milk from a local friend and it has some nice cream on top!)
Use whole milk if you have it, for the fat content helps to thicken the soup as well as the dumplings.
The dumplings are made with fresh milled soft white wheat, salt, baking powder, milk, butter and a little sugar. (Why sugar? Because it was in Grandma’s recipe, that’s why!)
Letting the dumpling mixture sit for at least 10 minutes helps the grains to absorb the liquids.
Once the soup is brought to a boil, you can drop the dumplings by the spoonful on top of your soup.
The main thing is: let those dumplings cook for several minutes before stirring them! Otherwise, they fall apart easily. (Although- they’re still delicious.)
Enjoy the creamy goodness of this comfort food in a bowl!
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings with Fresh Milled Flour
Homemade chicken and dumplings- packed with nutrients thanks to fresh milled whole wheat flour!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 2 quarts of chicken broth (8 cups)
- 2 cups of water
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- Salt and pepper to taste (see # below)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
For Dumplings:
- 2.5 cups of freshly milled soft white wheat
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders in 3 tablespoons of olive oil; remove from pot and set aside to cool.
- Add the diced onion, celery and carrots to another 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes on medium heat.
- Add 8 cups of chicken broth, 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of milk to the pot. As it comes up to temp, shred the chicken breasts and add back to the pot. Add the parsley and sage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (How much will depend on what type of chicken broth you used and how much salt was already in it!)
- Continue to heat soup on medium-low while you make the dumplings.
- To make the dumplings: Whisk together the whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add in the milk and melted butter and stir until just combined. Let mixture sit for about 10 minutes.
- Bring soup to a boiling, and then drop dumplings by spoonful on top. DO NOT STIR for about 8 minutes. Continue on a low boil. Gently stir soup and cook for a total of 10-13 minutes, until dumplings are cooked through and soup has thickened.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This makes a big pot of chicken and dumplings! Feel free to adjust by cutting the recipe in half if needed. You can also omit the 2 cups of water if you'd prefer a heartier soup.
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