Food with passion: Golden Goodness Chicken Soup with Dumplings

John Paul Kennedy is a self-taught cook and an avid fan of collecting cookery books with a passion for good old-fashioned home cooking.

His passion for proper family cooking stems from his TWO Grandmothers, who were both excellent cooks, one of whom was a trained chef.

JP promises to bring us plenty of family-inspired recipes and tasty treats while showing us how to get the basics right

As the seasons shift and the sniffles start to spread, there’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup to bring comfort and calm.

This golden goodness chicken soup is more than just a remedy, it’s a nourishing, soul-soothing classic that fills your home with the kind of aroma that says “everything’s going to be okay.”

Packed with wholesome ingredients, gentle spices, and a golden broth that glows with health, it’s the perfect antidote to chilly days and lingering bugs.

I’ve been battling a nagging dose the past few weeks and this soup delivered everything i needed in terms of warmth, flavour, basically a big hug in a bowl.

Serve with buttered crusty bread for dunking and extra comforting goodness!

Ingredients: 

• For the Soup
• 1 whole cooked chicken
• 5 carrots – 3 finely diced, two in chopped into larger chunks
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1 turnip/ suede finely chopped ¼ teaspoon of freshly chopped ginger
• half a cup of frozen garden peas 2 celery sticks finely chopped
• 3 maris piper potatoes chopped ½ cup of soup pasta
• 2 litres of hot chicken stock (i use homemade, but this would be 4 stock cubes dissolved in boiling water)
• 2 sprigs of soft thyme
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to season
• 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil flat leaf parsley to garnish

For the dumplings

• 200g self raising flour
• 100g beef/ vegetable suet some chopped flat lead parsley cold water to bring the dough together

Method

1. you can of course get ahead and use a shop bought cooked chicken, if not, roast your chicken at 180 for 1 hour 40 minutes and leave to cool before pulling all the meat off the carcass and set aside.
2. in large pot add the oil, and sauté the onions, diced carrots, celery until softened. season with salt and pepper and add the ginger stirring gentle until nice and fragrant.
3. pour in 1 litre of the hot chicken stock then add the chunkier vegetables – carrots, potatoes and turnip. Top up with the second litre of stock (enough to cover all the vegetables) and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Then add the cooked roast chicken, and tip in the pasta and let it bubble away until everything is nice and tender.
5. To make the dumplings add everything in a large mixing bowl, add just enough water to bring the dough together and divide into 10-12 balls.
6. place the dumplings in top, cover with a lid and allow to steam away for 20 minutes until the dumplings are puffed and fluffy.
7. laddle into large soup bowls, two dumplings is plenty per person – they are very filling and serve with crusty buttered bread and enjoy!

Whether you’re serving it to soothe a cold, warm up after a rainy walk, or simply enjoy a nourishing meal with loved ones, this golden goodness chicken soup is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.

It’s comfort in a bowl , rich, restorative, and brimming with flavour. make a big batch, freeze some for later, and let the inviting aroma fill your home with warmth and wellness.

Here’s to feeling better, eating well, and embracing the cozy side of the season.