Double Chicken Dumpling Stoup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
- 4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups store-bought shredded carrots, (3 generous handfuls)
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- A little freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (a couple of handfuls)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a couple of handfuls)
- 1 package gnocchi, available in market refrigerated aisle with fresh pastas
- 1 cup frozen peas
- A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Crusty bread for mopping
Heat a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat with EVOO. Add celery, onions, carrots and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes. Add stock to the pot, cover and bring to a boil.
Place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, nutmeg, egg, bread crumbs and cheese.
Combine the chicken mixture with your hands then roll into walnut-sized meat balls and add to the soup. Wash up, then add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
Add peas and parsley, and cook 2 minutes more. Turn heat off under the stoup and allow it to cool for 5 minutes on the stovetop before serving with crusty bread.