Some foods are just harder to get kids on board with. Beef and chicken were challenging ones with mine for a while…until I introduced bones, and then they were in. Vegetables aren’t happily received by Trevor unless they are doused with an awesome sauce. And then there’s soup. We’re still working on soup.
Here’s how this one went down…
Trevor: Mommy, I’m staaaarving.
Me: I know, Sweetie. It’s cooking.
Trevor: What are you making for dinner?
Me: Soup
Trevor: WHAAAAT? NOOOOOOOOOO. I HATE SOUP.
Me: You’ll love this. It has dumplings.
Trevor: Are those carrots? I HATE CARROTS.
Me: You don’t like raw carrots. You’ll like these.
Trevor: I DON’T WANT THE CHICKEN!!
Me: You’ll like it, trust me.
Trevor: *cries* I don’t want soup. I want a corn dog! *stomps feet* *real tears*
Me: Take a deep breath. It’ll be ready soon.
Trevor: *stomps feet all the way up stairs* *slams door* *cries*
Paul: Wow.
Me: He’s exhausted. And hungry.
Fast forward 20 minutes
Me: Come eat. It’s hot, so tiny bites and blow a little.
Trevor: *tears* If I hate it, can I have a corn dog?
Me: We’ll see.
Trevor: *pout* *heavy sigh*…*tastes* Wow, Mommy. This is really delicious.
Me: Yes. I know.
Chicken Soup with Chive Dumplings
Serves 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups cooked small chicken breast pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium leek, green ends removed, washed, and sliced thin
• 6 cups (or 3, 15 ounce cans) low sodium chicken stock
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• Salt and black pepper
Directions
In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and leek; cook, covered, for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken pieces, stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings. In a medium bowl stir together flour, chives, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender (or your hands), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until combined (do not over mix!)
Remove thyme and bay leaf from soup. Stir in parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring back to a boil; drop dumpling dough mounds (about 10) into hot bubbling soup. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, about 10 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted in centers of dumplings comes out clean.
I tried this recipe and it came out very thick. Did I do something wrong? Is the soup supposed to be more clear or milky/creamy? Mine was milky/creamy.
Yes, it is more on the milky/creamy side, as seen in the picture. If you want it to be thinner, you could use more chicken stock.
“not soup, again!!” is a refrain I hear often from the eldest. This despite the fact that he eats every drop each time? Of course, it could be the homemade bread…I think dumplings are on the horizon. who could resist.
Great recipe and thanks for the laugh. But what do you do when its the grown up man person who won’t eat soup? :(
LOL. Sorry, I can’t help you there!
I love the dialoque between you and your son. That’s exactly what I go through with my daughter. :) The soup looks delicious and I think my daughter will love it as well. Looking forward to making it
Oh my gosh! I think this is my new favorite chicken soup! I haven’t had dumplings like these since my mother would fix them when I was a child. Thanks for a yummy recipe and warm memory!
*Hugs*
My mom never made dumplings, so this was a new experience for me. But no doubt that it was one of the most comforting soups and absolutely hit the spot on the day I made it…which was cold and rainy. Wishing there had been left overs the next day!
Kids are too funny sometimes! I’m sure someday I’ll know this same pain…. I vaguely remember being a pain in the butt when I was a kid too. Yippee, can’t wait!
On another note, the soup looks delicious! We’ve been going through a pretty cold spurt here, so I’m excited for new soup recipes!
“Some day”… ???
I go through the same thing w/ my little one–these looks just delicious! I can see why he decided he liked them! :) Happy New Year!
If I had a dime for every time there’s been a conversation/fit like that at my house…
LOVE dumplings!! I need to make this soon. Looks so comforting and warm!
Sigh. Gotta love kids.
The unfortunate thing is that my brother STILL does this and he is 23.
My kids are in their 20’s and rarely throw tantrums now :) AND, I need more dumplings in my life.
My kids hate soup! But they love chicken & dumplings. Also sometimes I just tell them we’re eating something other than what we’re actually eating. For example, roast pork goes like this: “mommy this chicken is really good!”
Me- “It IS good chicken, huh?”
HA. See, Heather…I’m the reverse. My kids call everything chicken and it makes me crazy. I’m like “It’s pork! IT’S PORK!!” Lol.
Wow, so like my house, word for word, except instead of “This is really delicious,” at the end I got “This looks disgusting. I won’t eat it. What are those blobs?”
“This is dinner. Eat half.”
Five minutes elapse. “How are you doing on your soup?”
Big Sigh. “Why do you make soup? You know I don’t like it.”
“I like it and I wanted soup for a change. Just eat half of what’s left. There’s nothing in there that you don’t like.”
“But I don’t like soup.”
So yeah, I’ll try this soup! Let him eat cake. Not.
Oh, Andrea…LOL. I feel ya. Your version is not foreign to my house, either.
I can SO see this happening. The soup looks super yummy.
soup is going to be my nemesis for years, I just know it.
True story.
seriously, right?
Oh I remember those days well. Just fast forward a few years and you won’t be able to stop them from eating everything in the house!
That soup looks amazing. I love dumplings! Who doesn’t?
I can imagine! Mine already seem like bottomless pits – except with soup ;-) so I fear the teenage years will eat us out of house and home.
I’d never made dumplings before and was stunned at how easy they were!
“Yes. I know.”
*Snert* Ah, kids. ;)
Also, yuuuuuum. Seriously. This sounds crazy crazy good right now.
It was unbelievable how hysterical he was. So tired that day. Hungry+tired=hangry.
This soup was so good, Melissa. And I have another one coming next week that might be my new favorite…for now, anyway ;-)
HI, sounds like my entire life.
And I want this.
I never throw a tantrum like that. And by “never”, I mean “only a few times a week.”