Chicken Soup with Shichimi Dumplings
As soon as it gets cold I crave something comforting, like this chicken soup with shichimi dumplings. These are traditional dumplings with a spicy-citrusy twist. They’re fluffy, a bit crackly on the top, and the whole thing feels a big warm hug.
Equipment
- 1 ovenproof pot
Ingredients
Soup
- 4 chicken legs
- 1.5 litre chicken stock
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 2 medium sticks of celery (diced)
- 1 onion (diced)
Dumplings
- 200 g self-raising flour (apporx 1 cup and 2/3)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp shichimi
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 120 g cold suet
- 180 ml whole milk (12 tablespoons)
Instructions
Chicken Soup
- Gather and prepare all your ingredients for the soup.
- Add the chicken stock, chicken legs, and all the veggies into an ovenproof dish. Cover with a lid and bring to a medium boil for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it cool for 5-10 minutes and in the meantime keep cooking the veggies in the broth.
- Shred the chicken once it is cool enough to handle and add back to the soup. Be careful not to burn yourself, cool for longer if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C to make the dumplings.
Shichimi Dumplings
- Combine the self-raising flour, baking powder, shichimi, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Pour about 50ml of milk into the bowl at a time and mix, keep doing this until the dough can almost hold its shape but still a bit crumbly.
- Add the cold suet and combine but be careful not to overwork it. You might need more milk - you’re looking for a slightly sticky dough which will hold a sausage shape, not a crumbly dough which will break apart.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a sausage shape. Divide into 12 pieces and shape them into a ball.
- Mix the leafy greens into the soup and add the dumplings. Don’t mix the dumplings in, just let them sit on top.
- Transfer the dish into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are looking golden brown.
- Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It's best to eat the dumplings straight away as they lose their texture in the fridge.
Notes
Extra Tips
- Brown the chicken legs in the pan before adding in rest of the soup ingredients. You’ll be adding extra flavour by rendering out the fat from the chicken skin.
- Garnish with parsley for a bit of freshness, and if you're into it, a pinch or two of ground white pepper will add another level of warmth.