There’s nothing like a traditional family recipe that’s been passed down for generations. For you, it might be the memory of grandma’s chicken and dumplings that makes your mouth water and your stomach growl.
If you can’t find grandma’s recipe after digging through your cookbooks and the kitchen junk drawer, we’ve got you covered with easy chicken dumpling soup recipes!
So much of what makes this dish tasty comes down to how you make the dumplings – which begs the question–can you boil dumplings?
Creating the Ideal Dumpling
If you’ve never done it before, making dumplings might sound a little intimidating. The good news is that it’s not as tricky as it may seem.
Dumplings are actually cooked in the soup broth at a gentle simmer. If you drop dumplings into a soup mixture when it is at an active boil, the dumplings will come apart and turn your wonderful creation into a floury mess. After the dumplings are cooked at a gentle simmer, you can thicken the soup using flour, cornstarch, or another thickening agent.
When your dumplings rise to the top and double in size, you’ll know your dish is nearly done. Check to make sure the dumplings are cooked completely through by placing a toothpick into the center and seeing if it comes out clean. If you still feel a gummy texture, keep the dumplings cooking for a few minutes more.
It’s important to remember the soup will only thicken slightly before you drop in the dumplings. As those cook, you’ll notice the soup getting thicker.
Maintaining a Fluffy Texture
As you’re making your dumplings, the number one thing to remember is to ensure you aren’t overworking your dough. Too much mixing puts you on a fast track to creating tough dumplings, and no one wants that! The key is to mix until your wet and dry ingredients are fully combined, and if there are lumps, that is perfectly okay.
Another good tip is to use steam to your cooking advantage. By cooking with a lid on your dumplings, you’ll keep them soft and fluffy. Try to avoid lifting the lid for at least ten to fifteen minutes so that you don’t let any of that precious steam escape while the dumplings cook, which could potentially compromise their overall texture.
Savor Every Moment
Sharing a home-cooked meal as a family is very important and goes beyond taste. It’s a powerful tool to strengthen family bonds. Studies show when you join your family at the dinner table, you not only reinforce family values but also foster a positive sense of self-worth, especially for kids.
Of course, it’s not always easy to balance the demands of a busy life, especially if you have little ones. Taking time to cook something both healthy and satisfying for your family can sometimes seem out of the question.
We recognize this struggle. To make life easier for you, our recipes draw inspiration from the wholesome, home-cooked meals you love and combine them with the need for convenience. This valuable insight caters to both your health needs and the time constraints of modern life!
By using our dumplings recipe, you can easily prepare a delicious, wholesome meal everyone will be talking about for some time and keep leftovers in the refrigerator for the coming days; it’s also a breeze to freeze dumpling soup for up to three or four months. You’ll be thankful for that frozen meal on those nights when you are in a bind and don’t have a lot of time to cook!
Curious about where dumplings come from? Check out our latest post!
