Affectionately known in our home as Friday Night Soup. This is an “end your week on a cozy note” soup. Custom-made for Friday nights, the soup is simply homemade chicken stock (recommended but not required), roasted chicken breasts, and the easiest (also homemade) dumplings are combined to make an uncomplicated and delicious meal. If you didn’t grow up on this, you’ll wish you did!
Gram’s Original Chicken Soup with Halushki Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
For the dumplings
- 2 cups flour (if Gluten-Free, use Cup4Cup)
- 2 eggs
Instructions
For the Dumplings
- Meanwhile, grab a large plate. Add your flour onto the plate and create a well in the center with a fork. Then, crack the eggs into the center, and mix with the fork until all of the dried flour is mostly incorporated with the eggs.
- Then, pour 1/4 cup of warm water at a time onto the flour, as needed. The goal is for the mixture to be gently spread-able over the plate. It shouldn't be dry, you're aiming for something sticky, but still solid. Continue mixing and adding water until you've achieved that consistency.
- Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil.
- Next, hold the plate of dough over the pot of broth. With your knife, scrape your dumplings into the broth one by one. The size is up to you, but we tend to do about 2-3 inch slices. If the dumpling is sticking to your knife, give it a couple good shakes above the pot, and then dip it into the broth itself. Continue until there's no more dough on your plate.
- As soon as the dumplings begin to float, you're done! Taste again for salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Make-Ahead Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 3 5-pound roasting chickens
- 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled, quartered
- 6 carrots, unpeeled, halved
- 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
- 4 parsnips, unpeeled, cut in half (optional)
- 20 sprigs fresh parsley
- 15 sprigs fresh dill
- 1 head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
