Gram’s Original Chicken Soup with Halushki Dumplings
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
- 2 whole chickens
- 3 whole carrots, sliced into discs and then into fours
- 1 head of celery, each rib chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- kosher salt and black pepper
For the dumplings
- 2 cups flour (if Gluten-Free, use Cup4Cup)
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Place the two whole chickens into a pot, removing anything from inside the chicken ahead of time. Once the chickens are in the pot, fill with water until they're both just covered. Sprinkle a handful of salt and pepper, and place over medium high heat until it comes to a boil.
- Once you've reached a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cover with the lid. Let simmer for 3 hours, or until the chicken starts falling off of the bone naturally. You can help it along by gently poking the chicken with a fork.
- As soon as the chicken is fully off the bone and incorporating with the rest of the broth, taste for salt and pepper.
- Moving to the sink, grab your largest colander and place it in an equally large bowl. Pour your chicken stock through the colander, trying to keep the majority of the chicken still in the pot (makes it easier for cleanup). Remove the colander from the bowl, and discard any remnants/the chicken itself.
- Return your broth to a new pot, or the original pot with the chicken cleaned out. Add the carrots and celery to the broth and bring to a boil.
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.
- Once you've got the consistency you want, grab a sharp knife and hold the plate of dough over the pot of broth. Now, with your knife, scrape your dumplings into the broth one by one. The size is up to you, but we tend to do about 4-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.
