Grandma's Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Another TOH favorite. This is time consuming but wonderful and sometimes it's nice to just slow down and stay inside! Notice that I have not included the cooling time for the chicken.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 3  lbs roasting chickens, cut up
• 6  cups cold water
• 3  chicken bouillon cubes
• 6  peppercorns
• 3  whole cloves
• 10 3⁄4 ounces chicken broth
• 10 3⁄4 ounces  cream of chicken soup
• 10 3⁄4 ounces  cream of mushroom soup
• 1  cup celery, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups carrots, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup onion, chopped
• 1  cup potato, chopped
• 1  small bay leaf
• 1  cup  frozen peas
• 2  teaspoons salt, DIVIDED
• 2  cups flour
• 4  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1  egg, well beaten
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted
• 2⁄3 cup milk

Directions

1. Place chicken, water, bouillon, peppercorns, and cloves in kettle and bring to a boil.
2. Later you must remove the cloves.
3. Reduce heat; simmer until chicken is tender (about 1 hour).
4. Cool chicken just slightly; cut into bite size pieces and set aside and look for the cloves.
5. Strain and skim the chicken broth.
6. Put the reserved chicken and strained broth in a large kettle; add cans of broth, chicken and mushroom soups, celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, bay leaf, peas, and one teaspoon of salt.
7. Put cover onto kettle; simmer soup on low heat for 2-3 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.
8. About 30 minutes before serving, mix up dumplings by putting flour, one teaspoon salt, baking powder, and pepper together in a medium bowl.
9. Add egg, melted butter, and enough milk to make moist, stiff batter.
10. Drop by teaspoons into boiling liquid.
11. Cook, covered and without "peeking", for 18-20 minutes or until the dumplings are done.