Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken soup with dumplings is a classic meal that has its origins in Germany. Growing up, my mother would make large pots of chicken soup with dumplings all winter long, using the lengthy process of slow-cooking a whole chicken to make a nourishing broth, and then removing the meat for the soup and adding spoonfuls of the dumpling dough to the simmering broth. I still remember standing at the stove, watching the dough puff up as it cooked in the broth! My German maternal grandmother also made incredible dumplings with a variety of different beef and chicken stews for my mother and her siblings growing up. Dumplings are typically made from flour, butter, milk, and baking powder, and are added to the simmering broth or soup at the end of cooking. My recipe below uses several different gluten-free flours, eggs, and water for a simple dairy-free and gluten-free dumpling. 

If you are new to a gluten-free diet, then I usually recommend trying to stick with naturally gluten-free foods like rice, root vegetables, potatoes, and winter squash for complex starches. It is much easier to maintain and stay on a gluten-free diet this way instead of trying to substitute all of your favorite gluten-full foods! Once you become more accustomed to a gluten-free diet, then try making breads, tortillas, and other gluten-free and grain-free recipes! If you prefer, you can use this soup recipe and add cooked rice or noodles at the end of cooking instead of the dumpling dough for a simpler and easier version of this soup. 

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, and triticale. A gluten-free diet completely removes gluten-containing foods from the diet. In order for this diet to be successful, there has to be 100% removal of gluten, usually for at least 12 weeks before seeing the full benefits of the diet, though research has shown that it may take up to 6 months on a gluten-free diet to finally feel better.  This is because antibodies made by your immune system to the proteins in wheat can last in your body for up to six months. Therefore, it may take a minimum of six months of being gluten-free for someone who is reacting to gluten to begin to see improvement in symptoms or lab markers. 

If you would like support in following and maintaining a gluten-free diet, then consider becoming a Nourishing Meals® member. Members have access to many gluten-free meal plans, over 1800 recipes, and our easy meal planning tools that allow you to add recipes to a weekly calendar and quickly generate grocery shopping lists.