INGREDIENTS:
1 leftover roasted chicken, meat mostly consumed
1 onion, chopped
2-4 stalks celery, chopped
3-6 carrots, chopped
1 T ea sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley (or similar combination)
Salt to taste
1 T butter or olive oil
FOR DUMPLINGS:
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted
¾ C milk or buttermilk
1 tsp salt
This is my usual “Meal 3 (or 4)” of a whole, roast chicken—especially during the cold fall and winter months. After we’ve had dinner the first night, shredded chicken quesadillas the next, and lunches of chicken salad in between, I have a chicken (mostly) stripped of its meat. But the bird has one more amazing trick up its sleeve!
Place chicken and any bones that were picked clean during earlier meals in a Dutch oven or similar pot large enough to accommodate it. Add enough water to almost cover the bird and turn burner to high to get to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, turn heat to low and simmer with lid partially covering. Simmer for at least two hours or up to 6. Turn off heat; allow to cool. (You can proceed with the recipe at this point or place entire Dutch oven into the fridge or remove broth and chicken to a smaller container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)
Sautee vegetables in butter or olive oil until just soft; add spices and stir until fragrant. Add stock from chicken and simmer to continue cooking vegetables. While soup simmers, strip chicken of any remaining meat. Reserve.
Mix dumpling ingredients just until there are no more pockets of flour. Just before adding dumplings to soup, add chicken to pot and adjust for seasoning. Adjust heat so soup is at a low simmer. Proceed to gently “dropping” tablespoon to 1/4 C size dumplings into soup using a large spoon, making sure they are spread out in the pot. Cover and allow to cook, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve!