Chicken Broth with Herbed Dumplings

Spring is around the corner in the southern hemisphere but I am sure there a few cold days still heading our way so this recipe for Chicken Broth with Herbed Dumplings are not too late. But saying that, this is a bowl of comforting goodness that is suitable all year round.

Bone broth is packed with goodness, rich in protein and so good for your gut but can be a bit of mission to make. Not difficult to make at all but it does take hours to get the broth ready. Beef, lamb or pork broths take anything from 24 to 48 hours (see the Bone Broth Ramen recipe link below), whereas a chicken broth only takes about 8 to 12 hours, making the wait for a bowl of this Chicken Broth with Herbed Dumplings slightly quicker and well worth it.

Once the broth is ready, making the dumplings are quick to make and then cooked in the hot broth. They are made with semolina and I have added some fresh herbs for colour and flavour. In addition I have added some thinly sliced leeks and halved sugar snap peas. The veggies cook quickly to al dente in the broth adding freshness, crunchy texture and it looks really pretty.

Remove any cooked meat on the chicken bones and save it to use in other meals or you can it add back to the broth when serving it. Pour any broth that you did use for this recipe into sterilised glass bottles, close and refrigerate for up to a week or place in a suitable container and freeze for future use. Enjoy!

This recipe first appeared in Food and Home Entertaining Magazine

Click here for my recipe for my recipe for Bone Broth Ramen and for other methods to make Bone Broth check out this The Kitchn article.

Congrats to Elaine van der Plas and Melissa du Plessis. There is Baleia Extra Virgin Olive Oil on its way to you. Check your inbox.

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Chicken Broth with Herbed Dumplings

Ingredients

For the broth:
2 chicken carcasses
500g chicken necks or feet
water to cover the bones
few bay leaves
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
For the dumplings:
160ml water
20ml butter
2 ½ ml sea salt
125ml semolina
1 egg, lightly beaten
30ml chopped herbs (parsley, sage, chives)
Vegetables:
80g sugar snap peas, halved
2 baby leeks, thinly sliced
sea salt and black pepper to season

Instructions

To make the broth:
Place the bones in a large oven proof dish with a lid or large stock pot with lid
Cover with water, add the bay leaves and apple cider vinegar and simmer the bones gently on the stove or place in an oven preheated to 95 degrees C
Gently simmer the chicken bones for 8 – 12 hours
You want maximum flavour and the bones to nearly disintegrate
If simmering on the stove check the water level from time to time and top up if needed
After simmering for the required period let the broth cool down a bit and strain the broth through a fine sieve
Remove any meat on the bones and save to use in other meals
Set aside 1.5 liters of the broth and keep warm
Pour the rest of the broth into sterilised glass bottles, close and refrigerate for up to a week or place in a suitable container and freeze for future use
To make the dumplings:
Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil
Add the semolina and stir until it comes away from the sides of the saucepan
Remove from the heat and add the egg and chopped herbs
Mix well with a wooden spoon until the mixture is combined and smooth
Take little balls of the mixture and roll into dumplings the size of walnuts
Serving the broth:
Season and bring the chicken broth to the boil and add the dumplings
Cook for about 5 minutes until the dumplings has risen to the top
Spoon into bowls, add the vegetables and check the seasoning
Serve immediately
Optional: Add some of the chicken meat removed from the cooked carcass used to make the broth