Nothing says fall to me quite like soup! When the weather is cool and the soup is hot my heart is happy! This gut healthy and nutrient dense chicken and sourdough dumplings soup is just what you and your family need this fall!
Why Sourdough Dumplings?
In the past few years sourdough has exploded onto the home baking seen and everyone seems obsessed with it! But why?
- Sourdough is delicious: The slightly tangy taste of sourdough is unique and draws people! It does not taste like bread made with conventional yeast. This is because, as the yeast colony ages it takes on a sour and unique, to that colony, flavor.
- Sourdough is healthy for your gut: Sourdough is a fermented grain, meaning that bacteria have already started to break down the long gluten strands. It is not gluten free but could be considered “low gluten”. That means that many people who struggle with eating gluten are able to digest sourdough fairly well. I have a family member that cannot eat gluten but can eat my sourdough bread! I just have to remember to not put flour on top… I may have made that mistake before!
- Sourdough is sustainable: Once you have a sourdough starter you can feed it and it will last forever. There are sourdough starters that have been passed down through generations. Sourdough starters are hearty because they are made up of bacteria that want to survive! Bacteria have been around forever and they have adapted to living in non-ideal situations. Basically, starters are HARD to kill! If you think you have killed your starter give it a little water and flour and see if it grows. It might only grow a small amount, but if there are ANY bubbles then some bacteria are alive. After my daughter was born my sourdough starter sat in my fridge for almost a year before I made bread again. (Baking bread drops way on the list of need to do while you have a newborn and a deployed spouse!) But, when I finally pulled it out of the fridge, I poured off the hooch, fed it flour and water, and watched it grow! It took a feeding or two to get the starter strong enough to raise a whole loaf of bread, but it worked for me and will for you too!
Long fermented sourdough dumplings vs. quick fix dinner idea
Technically in this recipe, I say you need to let the sourdough starter and flour ferment for 12 hours, but if you are not gluten sensitive you can make the dumplings within a matter of minutes. You simply combine all of the ingredients when the recipe calls you to shape the dumplings! The rising agents are baking soda and baking powder, not the sourdough bacteria. So if you are looking for a quick and filling meal this soup should definitely be on the list! You can go HERE if you are looking for other quick and nutrient dense meal ideas!
On the other hand, if you go for the long fermented option your body will be better able to digest the grains and there will be a more prominent sour flavor to the dumplings. Either option can work for your specific needs and family!
Sourdough Questions:
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough “discard” is sourdough that has not been fed within the past 12 hours. For me this typically means the starter has been in the fridge for a few days, up to a few months, without me feeding or using it. People call it discard because if you keep a large stash of starter on hand you will have to feed it an exorbitant amount of flour to sustain it. So instead people “discard” it into recipes that do not use the bacteria as the raising agent. Instead it is used to flavor with the tanginess of sourdough. So discard doesn’t need to be discarded, it can be repurposed into any recipe that calls for an alternate raising agent, ie baking soda or baking powder.
How do I know if my starter is “active”?
An active starter is bubbly and smells sour, but not rotten. This is typically a starter that has been fed flour and water within the last 6-8 hours. I have a whole post that answers many common sourdough questions that newbies and veterans alike have!
Do I need to use active starter or sourdough discard for the dumplings?
Either will work for this recipe! An active starter will rise more quickly because the yeast bacteria are viral and active. Whereas sourdough discard will need more time to rise due to the smaller number of yeast present. When a starter hasn’t been fed recently the yeast start to die off and their numbers dwindle. This creates something called hooch, which is a brownish liquid on top of the starter. It signifies that your yeast are hungry, but not all dead. In this recipe we are using baking soda and powder. That means the starter is not the rising agent and is just used to flavor the dumplings.
Tips for the best dumplings!
- Use damp hands when handling the dough. I like to combine the ingredients with my hands because the starter can be difficult to mix ingredients into.
- Make the dumplings smaller than you think! They will puff up in the boiling broth quite a bit and a dumpling that is too large can be quite challenging to eat.
- When adding the dumplings to the boiling water, try to make sure they aren’t touching for the first 30 seconds to avoid them sticking together.
- This recipe is very forgiving and isn’t meant to produce beautiful dumplings. They are just meant to be delicious. So don’t worry about the aesthetics of the dumplings themselves, shape with your heart!
Do I have to use Chicken?
Absolutely not! I would use whatever poultry you have available! I personally love using turkey and turkey broth in this recipe. The slight sweetness of the turkey adds a flavor that I cannot get over! You could also use quail or Cornish hens if you had them. I know some people hatch their own chickens and need to process roosters, those would work perfectly in this soup! Get creative and try something new in the kitchen today!
Chicken and Sourdough Dumplings Soup
Soup:
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 parsnips, peeled and diced
- 5 celery stalks, diced
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp marjoram, dried
- 1 tsp sage, dried
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves, dried
- 8 cups bone broth
- 4 cups chicken (or turkey), shredded SEE RECIPE NOTE
Dumplings:
- 1 cup flour, all purpose
- 1 c starter
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted and room temperature
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Sprinkle of thyme, dried
The night before: The Sourdough Dumplings
1.Mix in a medium bowl by hand the flour, starter, salt, and butter. Allow to rise 12-24 hours.
For the soup:
2. Firstly, add avocado oil to a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
3. Secondly, sauté diced onions with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add to the pot minced garlic, diced parsnips, and diced celery. Sauté until soft about 5 more minutes.
6. Stir in your 3 tsps salt, marjoram, sage, thyme, and black pepper and let cook for about 1 minute.
7. Pour in the bone broth to deglaze the pot. Be sure to scrap any brown bits off of the bottom of the pot. There is so much flavor in these pieces, called fond.
8. Add in the bay leaves and shredded chicken.
9. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until all vegetables are soft.
10. After about 30 minutes of simmering, it is time to shape and add the dumplings.
11. Add the baking soda and baking powder to the dumpling dough. The dough is thick and sticky. It is easiest to mix with damp hands, not a spoon.
12. Roughly flatten out the dough on a clean surface and rip into pieces about the size of a flattened gum ball. You want them to be fairly flat when you add them to the soup because they will puff up in the broth.
13. It is time to add your dumplings to the boiling soup and put the lid on the pot.
14. Boil the dumplings covered for 15 minutes.
15. ENJOY!
RECIPE NOTES
- I typically have frozen or home canned shredded chicken on hand, in the freezer, fridge, or on the shelf. If you do not, don’t despair! You can cook up some fresh chicken! Simply dice 2 chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper, and cook in avocado oil over medium heat for 7-10 minutes. You can then add them to the soup in chunks or shred them with 2 forks, both are delicious!
- This is also the perfect after thanksgiving soup to use up any leftover turkey! I first made this recipe with turkey, the turkey broth and shredded turkey added a delicious savoriness that I would highly recommend you try!
Chicken and Sourdough Dumplings Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 parsnips, peeled and diced
- 5 celery stalks, diced
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp marjoram, dried
- 1 tsp sage, dried
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves, dried
- 8 cups bone broth
- 4 cups chicken (or turkey), shredded SEE RECIPE NOTE
Dumplings:
- 1 cup flour, all purpose
- 1 c starter
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted and room temperature
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Sprinkle of thyme, dried
Instructions
The night before: The Dumplings
1. Mix in a medium bowl by hand the flour, starter, salt, and butter. Allow to rise 12-24 hours.
For the soup:
2. Firstly, add avocado oil to a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
3. Secondly, sauté diced onions with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add to the pot minced garlic, diced parsnips, and diced celery. Saute until soft about 5 more minutes
6. Stir in your 3 tsps salt, marjoram, sage, thyme, and black pepper and let cook for about 1 minute.
7. Pour in the bone broth to deglaze the pot. Be sure to scrap any brown bits off of the bottom of the pot. There is so much flavor in these pieces, called fond.
8. Add in the bay leaves and shredded chicken.
9. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until all vegetables are soft.
10. After about 30 minutes of simmering, it is time to shape and add the dumplings.
11. Add the baking soda and baking powder to the dumpling dough. The dough is thick and sticky. It is easiest to mix with damp hands, not a spoon.
12. Roughly flatten out the dough on a clean surface and rip into pieces about the size of a flattened gum ball. You want them to be fairly flat when you add them to the soup because they will puff up in the broth.
13. It is time to add your dumplings to the boiling soup and put the lid on the pot.
14. Boil the dumplings covered for 15 minutes.
15. ENJOY!
Notes
- I typically have frozen or home canned shredded chicken on hand, in the freezer, fridge, or on the shelf. If you do not, don’t despair! You can cook up some fresh chicken! Simply dice 2 chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper, and cook in avocado oil over medium heat for 7-10 minutes. You can then add them to the soup in chunks or shred them with 2 forks, both are delicious!
- This is also the perfect after thanksgiving soup to use up any leftover turkey! I first made this recipe with turkey, the turkey broth and shredded turkey added a delicious savoriness that I would highly recommend you try!
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