Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

Chicken + Soup

• 2½ pounds chicken pieces (a mix of bone-in, skin-on breasts and/or thighs)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ cups small-diced yellow onion
• 1 cup small-diced carrots (from about 1 large carrot)
• 1 cup small-diced celery (from about 2 stalks)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1½ cups Nutpods Original Creamer (or another unsweetened dairy-free creamer)
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

For the Dumplings

• 1 cup 1:1 gluten-free baking flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons ghee, room temperature (or butter or vegan butter)
• 4 tablespoons Nutpods Original Creamer

Instructions

Start the Soup Base

1. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season generously with kosher salt and pepper on all sides.
2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pot with any accumulated juices. Add the chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves and turmeric. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, uncovered.
5. Once boiling, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and shreds easily—about 20–30 minutes, depending on piece size.
6. While the chicken cooks, whisk the tapioca flour into the Nutpods in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.

Make the Dumplings

1. In a medium bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, salt, pepper, baking powder, thyme and chives.
2. Add the ghee and use a fork to work it into the dry ingredients. The mixture will be crumbly; mash it together to incorporate.
3. Add 4 tablespoons Nutpods and mix with the back of a fork. Once mostly combined, use your hands to bring the dough together into one ball. If the dough feels too dry, add an extra teaspoon of Nutpods. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to firm up while the soup finishes cooking.

Finish the Soup

1. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly.
2. Reduce the soup to a low simmer. While stirring, slowly pour the tapioca-Nutpods mixture into the simmering broth; continue stirring until the soup thickens, about 4–5 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken meat from the bones, discard bones and skin, then shred and dice the meat. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
4. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer and prepare to add the dumplings.
5. Roll the chilled dumpling dough into ½ tablespoon-sized balls. Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup. Cook uncovered until the dumplings are tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes—the dumplings should float to the top when done.
6. Stir in the lemon juice, combine, and serve hot.

Notes & Tips

• Substitutions: Use any unsweetened dairy-free creamer if Nutpods is unavailable. For a vegan option, replace chicken with firm tofu or hearty vegetables and use vegetable broth.
• Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; the dumplings will absorb some broth over time. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth or dairy-free creamer to restore creaminess.
• Make-ahead: The dumpling dough can be formed and kept chilled for a few hours before cooking. Cooked soup (without dumplings) freezes well; add fresh dumplings when reheating.