Russian Chicken Soup

We belong to a wonderful Homeschool Co-op where I teach Jr. High PE and co-teach Food Class. Our Co-op meets once a month to study a different foreign country, sort of unit study style. So, each class focuses on a different aspect of the country: Food, PE, Science, Art, and Social Studies. Food Class can be challenging...finding recipes that will entice the kids to try new and different foods, trying new cooking techniques, and finding exotic ingredients. I have throughly enjoyed learning though.

Some of the recipes I've made for Co-op have became family favorites. The most requested of all has to be Chicken Soup with Dumplings from Russia. The recipe has even been requested by those outside Co-op when they've witnessed us eating it at lunch (including the husbands work). Since food is definitely one of the basics of life, I decided I would put some of our favorite family recipes on the blog. I can't think of a better way to save and share the yummy recipes. So, I'm starting with the Russian Chicken Soup. I'll print the original & my modified version.

Chicken Soup with Dumplings

DUMPLINGS
1 jumbo egg
3 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill (optional)

SOUP
5 cups Chicken Stock, or canned broth
2 medium-size boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
8 baby carrots, peeled
1 large rib celery, sliced
1 large fresh, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
Finely minced scallion (green onion) for garnish
Finely chopped fresh dill for garnish

1 To make the dumplings, break the egg into a small bowl, then add the flour salt, pepper, and dill, if desired, and beat with a fork until smooth. Set the dumpling mixture aside.
2 In a soup pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil, then add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, for 15 minutes.
3 Dip a teaspoon into cold water, scoop up about ½ teaspoon of the dumpling mixture and lower it carefully in to the simmering soup. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, dipping your spoon into cold water before you make each dumpling. You should have about 8 to 10 dumplings.
4 Add the tomato, increase the heat to medium low, and cook until the dumplings rise to the surface, 5 to 7 minutes.
5 Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with scallion and dill, and serve.

Serves 4 generously

Russian Chicken Soup with Dumplings Misty Style

DUMPLINGS
1 jumbo egg
3 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill (optional-I’ve also used a country herb mix)

SOUP
5 cups Chicken Stock, or canned broth ( I use one carton, plus a ½-3/4 cup of water or broth from the chicken)
2 medium-size boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
8 baby carrots, peeled (or a couple large carrots-peeled and shredded)
1 large rib celery, sliced (optional)
1 large fresh, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (or, one can organic diced tomatoes)
Finely minced scallion (green onion) for garnish (optional)
Finely chopped fresh dill for garnish

1 To make the dumplings, break the egg into a small bowl, then add the flour salt, pepper, and dill, if desired, and beat with a fork until smooth. Set the dumpling mixture aside.
2 In a soup pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil, then add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, for 15 minutes.
3 Dip a teaspoon into cold water, scoop up about ½ teaspoon of the dumpling mixture and lower it carefully in to the simmering soup. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, dipping your spoon into cold water before you make each dumpling. You should have about 8 to 10 dumplings.
4 Add the tomato, increase the heat to medium low, and cook until the dumplings rise to the surface, 5 to 7 minutes.
5 Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with scallion and dill, and serve.

Serves 4 generously

To make heartier, I slow cook a whole chicken, then skin & pull the meat off the bone, tear up a bit & add at the very end (when everything else is done). In Russia, chicken is too expensive to use like this. They would make the food last by making this with the chicken’s broth.

You do not have to add the green onion or dill, it is yummy either way.

Also, I usually triple or quadruple the dumplings, cuz my daughter really loves dumplings.

I don’t always use salt, either, you don’t need it. There is a lot of flavor in the rest of the ingredients. Oh, and Rachel Rays Chicken Stock has the best flavor (so says my husband & I do really like the flavor).