Chicken and Herb Dumplings

Directions

1. To prepare the soup, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a medium Dutch oven. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove Dutch oven from heat and add 6 tablespoons flour, whisking vigorously to blend with vegetables and oil. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking for 2 to 3 minutes without letting the flour brown. Remove pan from heat. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and whisk until the mixture is smooth and paste-like. Once paste is smooth, whisk in the remaining stock and balsamic. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms to soup along with chicken and thyme. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Simmer soup until thickened and vegetables are tender.
3. While soup simmers, add flour, baking powder, chives, parsley, Tuscan spices and salt to a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, egg, and buttermilk. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir just until combined with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
4. Add peas, chives/ parsley to the soup and stir to combine. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Drop heaping tablespoonsful of dumpling dough onto the surface of the soup. Cover the Dutch oven and simmer until dumplings are firm for another 20-25 minutes. After placing in serving bowls, finish with a drizzle of Thyme balsamic.