Cream Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Cream Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
  • 1 medium carrot,  thinly sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium leek, coarsely chopped
  • coarse salt, as needed

Dumplings:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1  teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon chives, minced 

Soup:

  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 2 stalks celery, peeled and cut into even bias-cut slices
  • 1  large carrot, peeled and cut into even bias-cut slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1  bay leaf
  • 1 sprigs thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • coarse salt
  • black pepper
  • 1/4 cup white roux
  • 1 cup chicken, cooked, shredded dark or white meat
  • 1 tablespoon chives, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar
  • parsley, leaves only

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in an 4- to 5-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onions, and leeks, season with salt, and cover with a parchment [recipe id=’1650′ slug=’cartouche’ /]. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the cartouche.
  2. Make the dumplings: Fill a wide deep pot with salted water and bring to a simmer. Set up a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
    1. Make pâte a choux: Combine the water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a stiff heatproof or wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean. The dough should be glossy and smooth but still moist; enough moisture must evaporate from the dough to allow it to absorb more fat when the eggs are added. Continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the dough from coloring; a thin coating of dough will form on the bottom and sides of the pan. When enough moisture has evaporated, steam will rise from the dough and the nutty aroma of cooked flour will be noticeable.
    2. Immediately transfer the dough to the mixer bowl. Add the mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix for a few seconds to incorporate the ingredients and release some of the heat. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the egg and incorporate.  Then add the chives and incorporate. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
    3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the dumplings using two soup spoons to make a quenelle shape, dropping them into the simmering water. Cook the dumplings in batches to avoid crowding the pot and allow them to cook evenly. Once the dumplings rise to the surface, it will take about 5 minutes for them to cook; remove one and break it open to make sure it is cooked. With a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to the baking sheet, and cook the remaining dumplings. (You will have about 12 dumplings.)
    4. Once the dumplings have cooled, trim any uneven edges.
  3. Finish the soup: Add the chicken stock to the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain the soup base into another pot and discard the vegetables.
  4. Cook the celery in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain, cool in an ice bath, and drain again.
  5. Put the carrots in a saucepan, add the honey, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the carrots are tender but slightly resistant to the tooth. Drain and transfer to paper towels.
  6. Bring the soup base to a simmer and whisk in the roux a little at a time until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; you may not use all the roux. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming often.
  7. Add the dumplings, chicken, carrots, celery, and chives to the soup and heat through. Season with the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with parsley leaves.

Note: To form a three-sided quenelle using two soupspoons, start by using one spoon to scoop up a portion of dough that is slightly smaller than the bowl of the spoon. Hold the second spoon in your other hand, place the side of the spoon against the far side of the dough, and scoop it onto the second spoon, forming one smooth long side. Continue transferring the dough between the spoons until you have the desired oval football shape. (With practice, this should take no more than three transfers, but it may require more when you are first getting started.) Before you begin, set up a container of hot water in which to regularly dip the spoons—this will make it easier to form the quenelles.