Big pot of Chicken and dumpling soup for $6.50

Rainy day, ( one of the few we get here in San Diego) wanted something hardy and hot. Had some chicken thighs in the fridge. I put this together. Of course it made the house just smell fantastic. I think my next business endeavor should be something with bottling comfort food scents for sprays/oils. Like spiced enchilada, or garden herb beef roast, how about lemon pepper chicken, and Hawaiian BBQ pork???





8 chicken thighs $3.80 ( these pieces are often the cheapest pieces of chicken)
3 stalks of celery
1 c. chopped carrot $1.00( I used baby carrots, already peeled and I always have them on hand)
1 large golden onion $0.20
2 chicken bullion cubes $0.25
1/2 tsp pepper*
1 tsp garlic salt*
1 tsp garlic powder*
1 can cream of mushroom soup $1.25

slurry to thicken the soup:
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 c water

dumplings:
2 c. flour*
3/4 c. cold water*
1 tsp salt*

Place chicken in a large pot. Add 8 c. water. Chop celery, onion and carrot. Add veggies to pot, garlic salt, garlic powder, pepper, and bullion cubes. Cook on medium heat for an hour. Remove chicken from the pot. Let it cool enough to where you can handle it. While the chicken is cooling, begin making the dumplings. Mix the flour with the salt in a mixer. Once it has mixed well, add the cold water gradually. Empty the dough onto a floured surface. knead in a ball. Then with a floured rolling pin, roll over dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Let sit while you go back to the chicken. Remove the skin from the chicken. Remove the meat from the bones, shred. Discard bones and skins. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Add The can of cream of mushroom. Stirr well. Mix the cornstarch and water in a cup, add into the pot and stir. Take a pizza cutter and cut the dumpling dough into 1 inch wide strips, then cut those into 1 inch squares. rip in half each square and add to the pot. Once you add the dumplings, do not stir. Instead turn the pot in a circular motion holding the outer handles. once the dumplings rise to the top of the soup ( roughly 4 mts.), it is ready to serve. Enjoy!

so 5 steps:
add chicken, seasonings and veggies to the pot, cook on medium.
remove chicken, make dumplings, allow to sit.
remove skin and shred chicken
return chicken to pot, soup and cornstarch
add dumplings.