And I know, I have several recipes on this site for chicken soup. I got that. But darn, sometimes all I want is a bowl of chicken soup. (Plus, Mr. C. was still not quite over his cold. And everyone knows chicken soup cures colds.) And, sometimes, I want dumplings in my soup. Not because they are good for me, heck no, they are simply soul satisfying. They taste good, and they are made with flour. And I am addicted to flour and comfort food. And they are the very definition of comfort food.

I could give up sugar, I could give up chocolate, I could even give up meat. But the one thing I could not, and do not want to live without, is anything bread-like.  

So, the next time you too need a comfort food fix, I suggest you make this soup with dumplings.

Well, Thanksgiving is over, and as much as I researched and thought I had come up with the perfect green bean casserole recipe, it turned out less than adequate. Too much onion flavor and not enough overall appeal. The presentation was fine, but the casserole itself lacked all the yummy that I remembered from canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup. How humbling to reflect on childhood memories of my mom’s green bean casseroles. Especially since my mom would never have been considered a good cook. Yet she made better green bean casseroles with canned beans, canned soup, grated cheap cheddar cheese, and French’s Onions than I produced with fresh and expensive ingredients! (Huh, and I consider myself some kind of cook.) But you know, it’s OK.

We all need to periodically be reminded that everything is not always going to go our way. And especially for those of us who cook, every dish is not going to be stellar. That periodically, we are going to try our best, and the result is not going to be nearly what we envisioned.

That’s when we need to keep on trying. Put our disappointment into perspective, and not wallow in self-pity which does no one any good and serves to stop us from allowing our creative side to blossom. Even if the result, as with this green bean mess, is a wilted blossom.   

So, no I’m not going to share this disaster with you! But I am also not going to give up. There must be a way to make a green bean casserole that checks all the boxes. Great green bean flavor, a wonderful creamy, tasty sauce, with crispy onions on top.

But enough about green beans and on to this recipe.

The first thing that makes this recipe a bit different from my other chicken soup recipes is the roasting of chicken parts to enhance the flavor of the broth. And why I hadn’t thought to do this before, when I always roast chicken and/or turkey pieces when I make the stock for chicken or turkey dressing and gravy, is anyone’s guess!

But I must say, baking the chicken pieces to a crispy dark brown and scaping all the water softened brown bits off the baking pan and into the Dutch oven with the other liquids, really does make a difference in the overall flavor of the soup.

And some might wonder why I use regular chicken stock and chicken base, instead of all one or the other? As much as I like and use chicken base frequently, if I use it all by itself to make 8 cups of stock, the broth becomes way too salty. But most purchased stock or broth, doesn’t have enough flavor. Thus, the use of both.

Well, that’s it for today. I’ve started a new book, and so far, I have met two older women, neither of whom I would particularly want to call friends. But it’s early in the book, and I might have a change of heart.

But I have two other books that I finished and can write about. Ann Cleeves book entitled The Baby-Snatcher was most enjoyable. The second book, The Skull Beneath the Skin, by P. D. James, usually a wonderful writer, left me uncomfortable. I like to know that the bad guy (or gal) gets his/her comeuppance. And that doesn’t happen in this book. (In reality, yes of course everything isn’t always tidied up to my satisfaction. But in books, I want reality to be forgotten.) Plus, I found all but one of the characters to be dull, unlikable, and just too nasty or inhumane to be believable. Even the police officers were inadequately portrayed as completely unfeeling, unsympathetic, and basically bored. And I like my police officers to be bright, witty, charming, and engaged. (I know, I know! And I’m fine with being a pollyanna!)

And as such, from our home to yours, peace and love to all.  

For the Soup:

2 lb. chicken parts (I used 3 boneless, skinless thighs, 1 large boneless, skinless breast, and 5 drumsticks)

1 tsp. veggie oil

seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. unsalted butter

1 lg. or two sm. shallots, finely chopped

2 lg. carrots, finely diced

2 stalks celery (plus leaves), thinly sliced

1 lg. garlic clove, minced

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. dried thyme

8 c. chicken stock or broth

5-6 tsp. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base)

¼ c. fresh parsley, finely chopped

2-3 green onions, finely chopped

Spread the chicken parts on a large, low-sided baking pan. Rub the oil all over the pieces and coat them liberally with seasoned salt and black pepper.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 1 hour or until the chicken or turkey is well browned. Give them a turn halfway through the baking process. Remove from the oven and place the meat on a plate to cool. Pour about 2 cups of water over the brown bits left on the baking pan and let sit for several minutes.  

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the shallot, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook for about 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, chicken base, and the juices and browned bits from the roasting pan. (If you are using chicken legs, add them to the soup and let them cook for about 30 minutes, before removing them and letting them cool with the other chicken pieces.) (BTW, chicken drumstick meat is tender and very flavorful. So, using all drumsticks when making this or any other chicken soup is always acceptable.)

Bring the soup to a low simmer, cover the pot with a lid and simmer the soup for an hour or longer. Check periodically.

Once the roasted chicken pieces are cool, cut them into bite sized pieces and place them in the refrigerator until needed. Discard any bones or skin.

When the soup has simmered to perfection, add the diced chicken, taste the soup, and add additional salt or pepper if required. Stir in the parsley and green onions. Then add the dumpling batter as directed below.  

For the Herb Dumplings:

1 egg

6 T. whole milk

2 T. veggie oil

1 c. all-purpose flour, fluffed

1½ tsp. baking powder   

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. chopped fresh chives

1 T. finely chopped fresh parsley  

½ tsp. dried thyme

In a bowl whisk the egg, milk, and oil together. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, chives, parsley, and thyme together. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix.

Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, drop dumpling balls into the stew.  (The dumplings will double in size while they cook, so make them as big or small as you wish.)

Cook dumplings at a slow simmer for 10 minutes with pan uncovered. Then cover the pot and simmer for about 10 more minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through. (Make sure you don’t peek while the dumplings are cooking for the last 10 minutes. They need to steam in order to be nice and fluffy and lifting the lid will release the steam.)

To check if the dumplings are ready, use a toothpick to make sure the dumplings are cooked through. The toothpick will be clean if the dumplings are cooked enough. Then serve the soup immediately.

Confession time. I hardly ever make my own chicken or beef stock anymore. I used to be all gung-ho and make homemade stock all the time. But as I’ve gotten older and Better Than Bouillon bases have come into my life, I don’t feel the need to regularly go to all that work. And I know, preservatives Patti. Aren’t you the one always preaching homemade everything. And yes, that’s true. But sometimes it just makes better sense to use my time more productively. (How’s that for justification 101?)

I learned about this type of thinking from a friend who recently recited to me the first paragraph of the new bestseller “Justification for Dummies, An Insider’s Guide to the Thinking (or lack thereof) of former President – – – – – “. (Name withheld to protect the innocent. Me, in this case.) But back to this post.

Just so you know, when there are bones available, I do make my own stock. But that’s not what this post is all about.

This recipe is for the times when all you have is a package of chicken, a few fresh herbs and veggies, and you want a soup that tastes like it started with homemade bone broth and required hours of gentle simmering.  Which, BTW, this recipe fulfills.

So, if you too love chicken noodle soup, you might want to give this recipe a try. It really is very flavorful.

And in case you might desire a copy of the “Dummies” book described above, you won’t be able to find one online or even at your local bookstore. They are literally flying off the shelves in blue states, mainly being used as insulation or to line kitty litter boxes. And in red states, this book has already been banned for speaking uncomfortable truths. So, no luck there!

On a serious note, may you continue to think intelligently and remain compassionate enough to decern truth from fiction, see preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience (prejudice) for what it is, and have the courage to stand up for what you believe. And always with your own rights and the rights of others foremost in every action you take.

As always, peace and love to all.  

3 T. unsalted butter

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

½ med. yellow onion, finely chopped

¼ c. finely minced shallot

6 green onions, finely chopped, divided

2 lg. carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

8 c. water

2-3 T. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken base)

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage leaves

1 lg. bay leaf

1 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 c. chopped and massaged kale

2 c. egg noodles

Melt butter in a large, covered stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken pieces and fry until crispy brown. Remove to bowl leaving as much butter in the pan as possible. Set chicken aside in your fridge.

Add the onion, shallot, half of the chopped green onion, carrots, and celery to the pan. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the veggies soften a bit, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  

Add the water, chicken base, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage, and gently stir until combined.  Then add the bay leaf, seasoned salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour.

After an hour taste and adjust the seasoning.

Just before serving, bring soup just to a boil and stir in the egg noodles, cooked chicken, and kale. Cook until the noodles are al dente.  

Taste the broth again and add seasonings if necessary.

Serve immediately garnished with remaining green onion. 

Miles may not be comforted by chicken soup, but he sure does love the decorative pillows in our guest room.

So, the first thing you should ask yourself – what the heck is pastina? Well, pastina or pastini, or pastine (however you spell it), is a pasta that can be any shape as long as it is generally smaller than ¼-inch.  Commonly called pastina in the United States, there is no standard “pastina” shape. Rather, it’s a general term for any small, shaped pasta. Pastina comes in the shape of little stars (stelline), tiny balls (Acini di Pepe), tubes, or even tiny macaroni noodles or shells. Orzo is also often classified as pastina. Now you know!

And the second thing that should jump out at you; why is Patti making soup in August? Well, that one is easy to answer. Yesterday when I was trying to decide what to make for dinner, the sky opened and dumped almost an inch of water on our happy little island. Plus, the heavens provided us with a delightful thunder and lightning show. And brooding dark grey clouds to set the stage. So, of course, soup was the perfect dish to serve for dinner. Along with some cornbread, we dined in style. And just because you would certainly want to know, the temperature never got above 61-degrees. Another reason to feature soup for dinner. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)

Now, as to why this soup, well that’s easy. I wanted to serve chicken soup, but one that was just a little bit different. So, I researched a few recipes, glommed this recipe together, and decided to give the soup a scintillating name. Because who isn’t captivated when a recipe title includes the word “Italian”. Add to that a word like “pastina”, and you have a hook that draws in even the most experienced and sophisticated researcher of all things culinary. And to prove my point, you’re reading about this recipe. I rest my case!

Anyway, this soup is very tasty and super easy to prepare. So, if you find yourself yearning for cooler nights, autumn leaves, back to school for your kidlets, (and what parent doesn’t yearn for that), and a break from BBQed this and that, go ahead and break all the rules and build yourself and your family a big old pot of soup. And if this recipe doesn’t rock your socks, I’ve got a lot of other soup recipes that you might find more to your taste. So, be brave. Be the trend setter in your neighborhood. Just don’t wear white shoes after Labor Day and you will be just fine. (Tennies are the one exception.) (It’s white leather shoes after Labor Day that is the societal no no!)  

Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 med. onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

6 c. water

2 T. chicken base

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. celery salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese rinds* (whatever amount you like)

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

½ c. pastina, cooked al dente (I use Acini di Pepe)  

2 c. chopped baby spinach

¼ c. chopped fresh chives, opt.

grated Parmesan cheese, for the table

Heat the olive oil in a large, covered pan. (I use my large Le Creuset Dutch oven.) Add the onion and carrot. Sauté until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the water, chicken base, bay leaf, dried thyme, celery salt, pepper, Parmesan rinds, and chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook the chicken just until done. Remove cooked chicken from pot and allow it to cool before dicing into small pieces. Set aside.

Meanwhile, simmer the broth covered for a good 45 minutes.

Just before serving, remove and discard the Parmesan rinds and bay leaf. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the lemon juice, al dente pastina, diced chicken, and spinach to the pot. Cook only until everything is hot. (Not a minute longer.) Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pass the chives and Parmesan cheese at table.

*Parmesan rinds impart a delicious, slightly salty flavor. They also help thicken and add body to soups, giving thin and brothy soups a silky consistency. You can also use Parmesan rinds in red pasta sauce, ragù, risotto, and beans.