Grandma Joan's Famous Chicken Dumpling Soup

My mom has been making this soup for years. It was served at the Royal Cafe in Virginia, MN.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 20
• Yields: 20 cups

Ingredients

• 5  quarts chicken broth
• 1  whole chicken
• 1 1⁄4 cups celery (chopped)
• 3⁄4 cup  rutabaga (chopped)
• 1  cup onion (chopped)
• 1 1⁄2 cups carrots (chopped)
• 2  tablespoons  chicken base
• 1⁄4 teaspoon thyme
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4  cups flour
• 4  eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2  cups milk
• 2  tablespoons parsley

Directions

1. You can start with either a raw or rotisserie chicken. If you start with a raw chicken boil the cut up chicken in the broth for several hours. If you start with the rotisserie, you can debone it and boil the broth with the chicken bones and skin.
2. Remove skins and bones from the pot. Cut up chicken meat and add to the pot.
3. Cut Vegetables and add to the pot.
4. Add Thyme, pepper, and garlic powder and continue to boil.
5. Next we make the dumplings.
6. Measure the flour and baking powder to a large bowl. Mix.
7. Make a well and add the eggs.
8. Slowly mix the eggs and flour from the well.
9. Slowly add the milk until mixture is a wet dough or paste.
10. From the bowl, spoon the dough one spoon full at a time into the boiling soup base.dip the spoon under the soup to let it fall off the spoon A small spoon works well.
11. After the dumplings are spooned in, let the soup boil for 10 minutes.
12. Turn down the heat to a simmer.
13. Sprinkle Parsley over the top, cover, simmer for 10 minutes.