Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Since my Celiac diagnoses about two years ago, and my adherence to a strict gluten-free diet, my tummy has been slowly and steadily working toward a happier existence.  My taste buds, on the other hand, have taken a major hit in satisfaction. If I only had to watch my gluten intake, it might not be so tricky.  But also struggle with dairy and have an intolerance to egg yolks, and baker's and brewer's yeast.  I hadn't realized until my diagnoses that yeast is way more prevalent in our food than gluten, and when you combine the need to limit yeast and gluten, your culinary future feels depressingly bleak.  Eating out at restaurants and feeling satisfied?  Forget it.  Trying my friends' recipes at birthday parties, cookie exchanges, cooking clubs, and holiday parties?  Never again.  I quickly came to the realization that I may never be food-happy again unless I take matters into my own hands.

So, to keep myself from jumping off  the proverbial bridge, I got busy in the kitchen and created some no-fail recipes that I could turn to when my body and mind needed some comfort.  This Chicken and Dumpling Soup does not disappoint.

Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumpling Soup

8 cups organic chicken broth.  (If you're concerned about allergies, make sure the broth is simple, made only with water, herbs, and chicken.  Say NO to MSG, yeast extract, and any other nasty preservative that might have a lurking allergen.)  Kitchen Basics is divine, and you can pick it up at any grocery store.
1 1/2 cup water
1 bunch of fresh flat-leaved parsley
2 Tbsp salt (obviously you can leave this out or add more to taste)
1 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
2-3 raw chicken breasts
1 1/2 cup Almond milk (of course you can use regular milk if you don't have issues with dairy.)
1 Tbsp butter
5 large carrot sticks
5 celery stalks
1 box of German potato dumplings.  You can find them in the German/Ethnic section of any grocery store.  Make sure and look at the ingredient list to verify that your store's brand is GF.  I use Kartofelland Potato Dumplings and I have seen them at Target, Wal-Mart, and World Market.

If you aren't concerned about gluten, a yummy dumpling consists of

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt  

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

Bring the milk and butter to a boil, add salt. Remove from heat and immediately add flour stirring until dough leaves the sides of the pan. Incorporate the eggs, 1 at a time, forming a sticky dough.  Add spoon sized balls of dumpling dough and simmer until dumplings rise.

Directions for GF Recipe

Add broth, water, chicken, salt and pepper, garlic salt, onion salt, and butter to a large stock pot.  Add chopped carrots, celery, and parsley and let simmer until the ingredients are soft and chicken is cooked.  Remove chicken, cut into cubes, and return to pot.  Add the almond milk.  Drop dumplings into the soup and simmer for 15 minutes.

By Janet Schlosser @ forgetthefinishline.blogspot.com