It's not quite a deep freeze but the temperature has been unmistakably winter since beginning of December. I crave steaming bowls of warming soup everyday...hearty soups that double as a light meal. When I saw the Pioneer Woman posted her recipe of Chicken And Dumplings last week, I knew I had to make it. Usually recipes have a way of sitting in my to-cook box for weeks and months before I get around to them but this one was an exception. I love how I first floured and browned the chicken (I used 4 skin-on thigh pieces) which adds a nice depth of flavour. It doesn't hurt that this extra step rendered out some of the fat from the chicken which I subsequently discarded. The tumeric, onions, carrots, and celeries all helped to build a delicious base for the soup.
You see that ginormous dumpling in the photo? I've never made chicken and dumplings before. My dumplings were made with buttermilk to lighten up the recipe a bit with a slightly tangy taste. Silly me forgot that dumplings would expand when cooked. So I ended up with three huge dumplings per serving of soup. Ooops.
This soup smells heavenly even when I warm the leftovers in a microwave oven the next day. And now I'm definitely on a soup kick and cannot get comfort food out of my mind. Over the holidays, I plan on making Chicken And Noodles and Split Pea Soup With Ham. What soup do you crave in winter?
