It's still cold out but if that means I get to eat bowls of this chicken and dumplings for a little while longer then how mad could I really be? When I was creating this recipe in my head, I knew I wanted it to be comforting but also add a lil fab spin to it. And the spin here, is the addition of sweet potatoes, buttery sautéed leeks on top as a garish and of course, the smokey flavor.

I’m not the greatest dough maker, however I knew I wanted really rich dumplings. I follow ‘Spoon Fork Bacon’ on Instagram and when I saw the dumplings from their chicken & dumpling recipe that looked so good and perfect, I knew I wanted to add them into this recipe as a centerpiece of the dish. And what’s a great dish without a great garnish? I love how the leeks add a layer or crispness and the celery leaves add some freshness and lightness to the dish so you don’t feel weighed down by eating a big bowl.

I know this recipe is a bit longer than all of the others but it’s incredibly worth it to make a pot of this smoked chicken and dumplings and eat fab over the weekend.

Smokey Chicken & Dumplings

2 carrots, peeled, ends trimmed & chopped

3 celery stalks, washed, trimmed & chopped, saving the leaves for garnish

1 large onion, peeled, ends trimmed & chopped

2 shallots, peeled, ends trimmed & minced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled, ends trimmed & thinly sliced

3 whole leeks, ends trimmed, rinsed & sliced

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed

Chicken (see quick note )

4-7 cups of chicken broth or vegetable stock

Dumplings: https://www.spoonforkbacon.com/chicken-and-dumplings/

1 1/2c. half-n-half, optional

Butter

Oil

Liquid smoke, optional

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt

Pepper

QUICK NOTES:

- If you are using fresh raw chicken, boil the chicken in a large pot for a minimum of 2 hours, as you would if you were making chicken stock, making sure to skim off the impurities that float to the top.  Once fully cooked, remove chicken from broth, pour broth through a strainer into another large pot and set aside. This broth is what you will be using to make your chicken and dumplings. When cooled, pull and shred chicken off of the bone and set aside until needed.

• Feel free to use a store bought rotisserie chicken for this recipe along with store bought chicken broth. Just shred the store bought chicken to your liking.

• If you have access to a smoker, make sure to smoke the chicken and your vegetables !

• If you are vegetarian, you can replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and replace the chicken with an assortment of hearty sautéed mushrooms.

Directions:

Place a large soup pot over medium heat with some oil. Add in the first 5 ingredients, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 6 minutes or until vegetables are soft. When vegetables are soft, pour in desired stock and allow to come to a simmer.

In a separate skillet, heat some oil and when hot add in sliced leeks. Season with salt and pepper and sauté leeks until just cooked through allowing the leeks to still have some bite to them. Add in a few drops of liquid smoke to taste and some butter and set aside.

When the broth has begun to simmer, next add in the sweet potatoes and then the pulled chicken.

Combine the ingredients for the dumplings.

When broth has come back up to a simmer, add in half and half if using and your desired amounts of seasonings and liquid smoke. You want to make sure you add enough liquid smoke so that you can taste it in every bite but of course, without it being overpowering.

Next, add in the dumplings as directed by the recipe.

Once the dumplings have cooked and floated to the top, adjust your seasonings and liquid smoke to your liking if needed. And also if your broth is too thick, add in some more broth until you've reached your desired consistency. Place sautéed leeks back over a low flame just to reheat.

Ladle chicken & dumplings in your desired bowl and spoon sautéed leeks over the top and garnish with celery leaves and black pepper. Serve immediately & eat fabulously.