CHICKEN & DUMPLIN' SOUP

My mother made the best chicken and dumplings. I can't help but judge any that I eat to hers. I haven't been able to duplicate them. Whenever they came to visit my one request was she had to make them for us before they left. I have plastic containers of her recipes and there must be half a dozen or more little pieces of paper with dumpling recipes written on them. I should say the ingredients are written down. She didn't have a recipe memorized. She always looked through my few cookbooks for a recipe. But no matter what, her chicken and dumplings always turned out great! 

So many times when I see recipes for chicken and dumplings, they basically make a biscuit and drop dollops into the broth. I have to admit I have never tasted any of these, but I like the rolled out dough cut in slices/blocks like Mother made so much, I'm not really interested in trying them. 

Feeling as I do about dumplings, the name of this recipe caught my eye first and then I looked at the ingredients and saw ... 12 - oz tube refrigerated biscuits, quartered. Not to be outdone though since the rest of the recipe sounded good, I decided to basically use the recipe but with my personal changes. 

CHICKEN & DUMPLIN' SOUP

1       10-3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
4        cups chicken broth or a 32 - ounce carton of chicken broth
cooked chicken, shredded (I used one large chicken breast that I cooked by boiling/simmering it in a pot of water until done. Measured about 2-1/3 cups of shredded chicken.)
2       (15 - ounce) cans of mixed vegetables
9        strips frozen dumplings (* see picture below) or 12 - oz tube refrigerated biscuits, quartered

Combine soup and broth in a 6 - quart stockpot with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

(If you are using the frozen dumpling strips, add them to boiling broth/soup, breaking them up as directed. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.) 












If you are using the refrigerated biscuits, add the chicken and vegetables, bring to a boil. Drop biscuit quarters into soup; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Let soup sit 10 minutes before serving.

(If you used the frozen strips, add the chicken and vegetables after the dumplings are done. Simmer 10 to 15 more minutes to heat chicken and vegetables.) 

Sprinkle each serving with pepper, if desired.

* These are the frozen dumplings I buy. They are not as good as my mother's but until I get to where I can make my own, they will do.