This old fashion recipe combines tradition with ease, bringing seasoned chicken simmered in a rich broth with herbs, carrots, and celery, along with soft and chewy flat dumplings. A classic southern American comfort food that is simply so delicious and satisfying!
Prepare chicken: Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Make the chicken stock (my short-cut method):Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
Once pot is hot, place chicken thighs skin side down. Cook for a couple of minutes or until it begins to brown. Flip and sear the other side. Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside.
Add onions to the same pot. Cook until they become translucent, for a few minutes.
Return thighs to the pot. Add chicken broth, herbs, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour.
Remove chicken thighs and discard herbs and garlic pieces from the pot.
Shred chicken:Remove the skin and bones from the chicken thighs that was set aside and discard. Shred the meat and set aside.
Prepare dumplings: Mix together the dumpling ingredients - all purpose flour, sour cream, salt and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth that you prepared in Step 6. Mix well, making sure to not over-mix.
Lightly flour a flat surface and a rolling pin. Gently roll out dumpling dough until it is roughly ¼ thick.
Using a pastry cutter or a pizza cutter, cut dumplings into strips that are roughly ½ inch wide and 2 inches long.
Finish the soup:Add the dumplings, carrots, and celery to the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are fully cooked (they will typically puff up and float to the top, and will no longer be 'doughy' on the inside).
Once the dumplings are fully cooked, return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir to combine.
Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Soup should have thickened at this point. If you need to thicken the soup further, make a slurry using 1 tbsp of flour mixed with 1 tbsp broth (can also use water). Once mixed, add to the soup and allow to cook for a few minutes. On the other hand, if soup is too thick, add more chicken broth to thin it out.