Ingredients:

  • 5 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, trimmed
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
  • 2 medium Carrots, sliced or chopped
  • 2 stalks Celery Stalks, sliced
  • 4 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
  • 1 (10.5 oz) can Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To taste
  • 1 ½ cups Self-Raising Flour, sifted
  • ⅓ cup Cold Unsalted Butter or Vegetarian Suet, diced small
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
  • ½ cup Cold Whole Milk
  • ¼ teaspoon Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

  1. Prep the Base: Place the diced onion, carrots, and celery at the bottom of the slow cooker pot.
  2. Add Chicken: Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables. Season the chicken well with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Add the two bay leaves.
  3. Liquids: Pour the chicken stock over the contents. Add the can of Cream of Chicken Soup, stirring gently to help it incorporate slightly.
  4. Start Cooking: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 2.5 hours.
  5. Check and Shred: After the initial cooking time, carefully remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker. Using two forks, shred the chicken finely. Stir the shredded chicken back into the stew base. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
  6. Prepare Dumpling Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour and salt. Cut the cold butter (or suet) into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the fresh parsley.
  7. Form Dough: Gradually add the cold milk, mixing with a wooden spoon just until a shaggy, soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
  8. Shape and Drop: Pinch off rough spoonfuls (about 1.5 inches wide) of the dough and gently drop them directly onto the surface of the simmering stew. They should sit mostly on top of the liquid.
  9. Final Cook: Cover the slow cooker immediately. Cook the dumplings on HIGH for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not lift the lid during this time, as the dumplings rely on the steam to become light and puffy.
  10. Serve: Once the dumplings are firm, puffy, and cooked through, remove the bay leaves. Ladle the hearty stew and dumplings into bowls.