Chicken and Dumpling Soup

The dumplings in this recipe are really special. Served in a warm soup, they take on the flavors of the stock, with a texture you may remember from childhood. The trick to successful keto dumplings is to roll them out thick and put them in the pot just before serving because they don’t need a long time to cook. This recipe is well-loved by my non-keto friends too!

Makes 6 servings

• SOUP
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
• 2 cups Stovetop Chicken Stock or store-bought chicken broth
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 bay leaves
• DUMPLINGS
• 2 cups shredded part-skim low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 3 large egg yolks

For the soup

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and brown for 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the celery, onion, garlic, and thyme to the pot and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 4 cups water, the stock, melted butter, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Add the chicken back, bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred the meat from the bones with a fork. Discard the bones (or save to make Stovetop Chicken Stock). Add the shredded chicken back to the Dutch oven and cook for another 10 minutes, until heated through.

For the dumplings

Have a silicone mat ready. Place the mozzarella in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave oven until fully melted, about 1½ minutes. Add the coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and egg yolks and mix together. It will make a stiff dough.

Transfer the dough to the silicone mat and knead until smooth. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to the edges of the mat, or until it’s ½ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, gently cut strips of dough about 1 inch wide. Sprinkle the strips with a bit of coconut flour so they don’t stick to one another.

Just before serving, carefully add the strips to the soup, 4 or 5 at a time so they won’t stick to each other, and cook very gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories 576, fat 36.3 g, protein 45.7 g, carbs 15.9 g, fiber 4.5 g

Variation

For a creamier soup, stir in ½ cup heavy cream after the dumplings have cooked.

Note: To get this on the dinner table even faster, buy a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and shred the meat from the bones. Make the soup as above, starting with cooking the vegetables. Increase the chicken stock to 4 cups, add the shredded chicken, and cook until heated through. Then continue following the recipe to cook the dumplings.