Chicken & Dumplings

Three Ways: Traditional, Paleo & Gluten-free

Ask any Southerner and they can tell you how they had chicken and dumplings growing up.

It is some SERIOUS comfort food! My Mama made chicken and dumplings with shredded chicken in a rich broth that had onions and celery in it. And her dumplings were amazing! She was a master biscuit maker so, of course, her dumplings were the highlight of the dish. Her recipe was simpler than mine, but my recipe is super flavorful, and I think even the most discerning Southerner would enjoy it.

During my paleo phase, I tried to make dumplings with paleo-approved flour and they just disintegrated and became mushy. Too much fat I’m guessing!The original recipe and first way that I want to share this recipe is by making traditional dumplings. If gluten is not an issue for you, then you are going to love these dumplings! I always think of dumplings as a Southerner’s homemade pasta. It’s a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of dish that will have you swooning. This recipe is inspired by my beautiful friend, Teresa, and her lovely mother, Donna. The dumplings part of the recipe is Donna’s and Teresa showed me that there can be so much more sophistication to this dish. She really knows the art of kicking it up a notch!

I want to present this recipe with three versions to show you how to alter a recipe based on your own dietary needs. The soup base and types of veggies and spices will remain the same for each version. The first way will be the original recipe with traditional dumplings. The second way will be with a vegetable substitute for the dumplings. The third way will be dumplings made with gluten-free and alternative dairy.

Let’s start with the soup base that will be used for all three versions of Chicken and Dumplings.

For the broth, you will need:

1 whole chicken

I boil a whole chicken covered in salted water until the breast and thigh temperature is 160 degrees, I let it cool and debone and chop/shred the chicken. If you boil your chicken, save that broth and use it instead of storebought.

Pro Tip:

Cut your prep time by using a storebought rotisserie chicken.

Photo by Alison Marras

Soup:

4-6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp of better than bouillon chicken base
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
3-4 TBS of Italian spice blend

Italian Spice Blend:
1 tablespoon oregano
1-½ tsp dry mustard
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
1-½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Pro Tip:

Skip the spice measuring, use a packet of Italian Dressing mix and add the following:
- Oregano
- Basil
- Dry mustard
- Worcestershire
- Red pepper flakes
- Turmeric

Photo by Calum Lewis

Additional Ingredients:

1 chopped Onion
3-6 stalks Celery
1 cup chopped Carrots

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Boil chicken in salted water to cover it
Make the dumplings and allow them to dry
Chop the onions, celery and carrots and saute until softened
Add the chopped/shredded chicken (I prefer mine chopped in large chunks)
Add the chicken broth and bouillon
Add the spices
Cook slowly for about 20 mins
Carefully add the dumplings and cook another 20 mins
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed

Now that you have the basics down, let’s get into these variations!

Chicken and Dumplings (the Original)

Dumplings:

2 cups flour

3 T butter

1 tsp sal
t

1 egg

¼ to ½ c milk

Cut the butter into the flour salt mix until crumbly, add milk and egg to make soft dough, knead, roll paper thin, let dry 30 mins, cut into small squares.

Pro Tip:

Let’s define paper thin: I just eyeball it and roll mine to around 1/8” to ¼" inch thick – but closer to the 1/8” side. If they are too thin they are hard to handle because they’ll be too delicate to pick up and drop in the soup. Don’t fret over measurements here! Use a rolling pin and roll the dough a little thicker than a pie crust, but not as thick as a pizza crust.

Chicken and Dumplings (Keto & Paleo)

For this version, follow the basic steps above, omitting the dumplings.

In place of the dumplings you will use:

½ head of green cabbage, roughly chopped to resemble the shape of dumplings

Add the cabbage in the last 10 minutes to allow it to wilt down but not get too soft. The pieces will have a little meat to them so you’re getting a similar mouthfeel as a dumpling.

Pro Tip:

I love the cabbage in this soup so much that I usually also put it in my versions with the dumplings. It’s so good!

Chicken and Dumplings (Gluten Free and Alternative Dairy Dumplings)

For this version, follow the steps in version 1, except for the dumplings.

For the gluten-free and dairy-free dumplings, you will need the following:

2 cups gluten free flour (I used Pillsbury)
3 T grassfed butter (or Miyoko’s Creamery butter)
1 tsp salt
1 small egg
¼ cup goat milk kefir (If omitting all dairy, add an extra ¼ cup of coconut + almond milk blend)
½ to ¾ cup of a blend of coconut milk and almond milk

Cut the butter into the flour salt mix until crumbly, add milks and egg to make a soft dough. You may have to add a little more almond milk until the dough is the right consistency to be kneaded and rolled. Just add 1 tablespoon of almond milk at a time until you can work the dough. Knead on a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll paper thin, let dry 30 mins, cut into small squares. And, drop in the soup one at a time. Gently push the dumplings out of the way so you can continue to add all of them to the soup.

Sugar-Free Red Sangria

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