Chicken and Basil Dumplings

I've attempted chicken and dumplings before, and it wasn't exactly pretty. I couldn't figure out the whole dumpling situation--they seemed to be doughy, no matter how long I cooked them. Come to find out later, dumplings sometimes take WAYYY longer to cook than I ever imagined. Hmph. I was discouraged by the experience and hadn't tried it since, instead choosing to leave it to the professionals (like, say... my mom).

But when I saw this recipe pop up in my Google Reader, I was inspired to give it a try, simply because it is a crockpot dumpling recipe. Fix it and forget it? Those are my kind of dumplings, for sure.

Because it cooks for so long, the chicken is fall-apart tender, and I loved the combination of vegetables. The basil seasoning, in both the soup and the dumplings, is a wonderful addition and makes this recipe slightly different than your typical chicken and dumplings. The dumplings themselves are full of flavor, what with the basil, garlic powder, and butter. Melissa wasn't kidding--this dish is delicious!

You definitely have to allow yourself enough time, since it involves at least 8 hours of total cook time. Also, you need to plan ahead so that you are home to be able to make the dumplings two hours before you want to eat. Even though it involves a few different steps, it is a really easy recipe and it's perfect when you want a great meal with very little effort.

Chicken and Basil Dumplings
(Source: Delicious Meliscious)

Soup Ingredients:
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8-10 cups of chicken broth
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can put them in frozen to start)
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste

Soup Directions:
Put all ingredients above into slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6 hours.

Dumpling Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups of flour
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tbsp. butter, softened
- 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten

To Prepare Dumpling Dough:
Combine the flour with basil, garlic powder, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. But in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

Remaining Ingredients:
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1/4 cup of chicken broth (you can dip some out of the crockpot to mix)
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

To Finish Soup:
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with 2 forks. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker. Combine the cornstarch with the chicken broth and mix thoroughly to make a slurry. Add slurry to the soup.

Dumpling Directions:
Drop dumpling dough, 1-2 tsp. per dumpling, into the chicken soup. Cover and continue to cook on low for another hour and a half to two hours. Add the chopped parsley to the soup and serve.