YIELD: 6 servings | PREP TIME: 35 minutes | STOVETOP: 45 minutes | SLOW COOKER: 9 to 11 hours
• ½ cup arrowroot starch
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ghee
• 1 medium onion, cut into small dice
• 2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
• 2 medium carrots, cut into small dice
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 quarts Chicken Broth
• ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
• ¾ cup blanched almond flour
• ¾ cup cassava flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
• Chopped fresh parsley or chives, for garnish (optional)
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the arrowroot starch, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the mixture, coating them on all sides.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the ghee. When hot, add the chicken in batches and cook until golden brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the veggies have softened.
4. Stir the thyme and turmeric into the vegetables. Pour in the broth, scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
5. Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer the soup until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside to cool.
6. While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings: Mix together the almond flour, cassava flour, baking soda, salt, and coconut milk. Use your hands to form the dough into 24 small dumplings. The dumplings should be somewhat round but still rustic looking.
7. Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup and cook for 5 minutes.
8. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Discard the skin and bones. (Save the bones for making broth, if desired.)
9. Add the shredded chicken and coconut milk to the soup and simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley or chives, if desired.
Slow Cooker Instructions: After completing Step 4, transfer the contents of the pot to a slow cooker and add the chicken. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and allow to cool. Complete Step 6, then turn the heat up to high and add the dumplings to the slow cooker, allowing them to cook for 20 minutes, or until they’re cooked through. Proceed with Steps 8 and 9, cooking the soup for about 10 minutes to heat through.
More Recipes You'll Love
Chicken and dumplings soup is pure comfort: a whole chicken seared until golden, then simmered with carrots, celery, and thyme until the meat falls apart. Rustic little dumplings made from almond and cassava flour bob in the broth, and coconut milk stirred in at the end makes it luxuriously creamy. It is the grain-free version of the soup everyone grew up with.
Pro Tips
- Dredge the chicken in arrowroot starch before searing. The coating browns beautifully and lightly thickens the broth as the soup simmers.
- Scrape up every browned bit when the broth goes in — that fond is where a huge share of the soup's flavor lives.
- Keep the dumplings rustic and small (24 little rounds) so they cook through in 5 minutes and don't disintegrate into the broth.
- Shred the chicken only after it cools enough to handle; warm meat tears raggedly, while cooled meat pulls into clean shreds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dumplings made of in this recipe?
A blend of almond flour and cassava flour with baking soda and coconut milk — soft, slightly chewy dumplings that are entirely grain-free.
Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
Yes — simmer the chicken and broth on low 8-10 hours, then add the dumplings on high for 20 minutes and finish with the shredded chicken and coconut milk.
How long does chicken and dumplings keep?
About 4 days in the fridge. The dumplings soften further in the broth overnight, so they are best within the first two days.
Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken?
Yes — bone-in, skin-on thighs give the same rich broth and are easier to handle. Adjust the simmer time down slightly since the pieces are smaller.
Recipe Card
- ½ cup arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 medium onion, cut into small dice
- 2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
- 2 medium carrots, cut into small dice
- ½ tsp minced fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 quarts Chicken Broth
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour
- ¾ cup cassava flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
- In a large bowl, whisk together the arrowroot starch, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the mixture, coating them on all sides.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the ghee. When hot, add the chicken in batches and cook until golden brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the veggies have softened.
- Stir the thyme and turmeric into the vegetables. Pour in the broth, scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer the soup until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside to cool.
- While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings: Mix together the almond flour, cassava flour, baking soda, salt, and coconut milk. Use your hands to form the dough into 24 small dumplings. The dumplings should be somewhat round but still rustic looking.
- Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup and cook for 5 minutes.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Discard the skin and bones. (Save the bones for making broth, if desired.)
- Add the shredded chicken and coconut milk to the soup and simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley or chives, if desired.
