Southern Chicken Dumplings

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes until they soften and smell sweet. Nestle the chicken pieces into the pot, followed by the garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 45 minutes.
2. Use tongs to carefully transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a large cutting board or platter. Leave the rich broth simmering gently on the stove. Allow the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes until safe to handle. Use two forks or your hands to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard all bones, cartilage, and skin.
3. Grab a large mixing bowl and add the all-purpose flour. Sprinkle in the baking soda and a pinch of salt if you prefer extra seasoning. Use a wire whisk to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture.
4. Drop the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs or wet sand. Pour the cold buttermilk into the well you created earlier. Gently fold the mixture together with a wooden spoon just until a shaggy dough forms.
5. Turn the shaggy dough out onto a clean, heavily floured surface. Knead it very gently just 2 or 3 times to bring it together. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Take a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and slice the dough into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long.
6. Bring the pot of broth back up to a rolling boil. Pick up the dumpling strips one by one and drop them into the bubbling liquid. Scatter them around the pot rather than piling them in the exact same spot. Use a wooden spoon to gently press the top dumplings down into the liquid.
7. Gently slide the shredded chicken back into the pot with the dumplings. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Place the lid tightly on the pot. Let everything simmer undisturbed for 12 to 15 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the warm burner. Leave the lid on and let the dish rest for 10 full minutes. Ladle the thick, fragrant chicken and dumplings into wide soup bowls. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper and chopped parsley.