Chicken Dumpling Soup

The week of Thanksgiving always confuses me. Like, it feels like such a short week but Thanksgiving isn't until Thursday which is really towards the end of the week anyway. And in this year's case, I feel like I have sooooo much to do. In reality, I have very little to do. I have to make a pumpkin pie and green bean casserole. And yet, I haven't been putting anything on my calendar because I've been feeling like I have to get ready for Thanksgiving. I don't.
We did do a mini-outing today though, to the Trains at North Park. So cute, so well done, and the boys loved it. Tons of trains just rolling around. One of the little guys kept saying 'bop bop bop,' which is his version of 'beep beep beep,' which is a truck sound and not quite applicable to trains but I let it slide. They were so happy and cute. Until. Until I thought I had a minute to relax because they loved the trains so much and I pulled out my smoothie. All the sudden it was like the trains disappeared and the Christmas music stopped, and all they could see was my smoothie. When I wouldn't let them have it (for lots of reasons - messy, etc - but mostly because it was MINE and I love it)- we had our first public dual tantrum.  Two screaming, completely boneless babies. Couldn't pick them up, couldn't hold their hand and walk back to the stroller, couldn't entice them with another snack. I finally had to just pick them both up at the same time (backs arched, arms flailing, etc) and carry them to the stroller so we could get out of dodge. Not my most graceful moment. It's very hard to look graceful and in control when you have twin toddlers.
Anyway. This soup is a winter staple. Sort of tastes like pot pie and is so comforting and delicious. AND...would be awesome with leftover turkey.
Recipe

• 1.5 lb cooked & shredded chicken or turkey (~4c)
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 cups diced carrot (small)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 6 cups chicken broth (full sodium)
• 5 tablespoons corn starch + water
• 1/2 cup Half & Half
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• Kosher salt if needed (I used full sodium broth and used an extra 1/2 tsp kosher )

Dumplings

• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• pepper

Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a large soup pot. Stir in the onion, celery and carrot. Cook for about 5-10 minutes.  Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Whisk together the corn starch with about 1/2 cup water. Add it to the chicken stock and allow to thicken.  Stir in cooked chicken, parsley, half & half, and S&P.
To make the dumplings, mix all ingredients together. Bring soup to a low simmer, and drop the dumplings in teaspoonfuls on top of the soup (messy is ok, they always look misshapen). Once you have dropped in all the dough, cover and cook for about 20 minutes on medium.  If the dumplings cook together a little bit, just break them up with a fork before serving.