Chicken & Dumpling Soup

Make the dumpling dough:

• Put the crackers in a food processor or blender and pulse into fine crumbs. This makes about 1 cup of crumbs.
• Whisk together eggs, water, and butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the cracker crumbs, scallions, cheese, nutmeg and pepper until a stiff mixture forms.
• Cover dough and chill for 30 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it chills.

Make the soup:

• Pour chicken broth and water into a stockpot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to simmer. 
• Add chicken breast to the broth, and simmer chicken for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate to cool. 
• Add celery, carrots and parsnips to the broth in the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Meanwhile, cut the cooled chicken breast into small strips about 1 ½ inches long. 
• Add the chicken to the broth. Adjust heat to low and bring to a gentle boil.
• Drop the chilled dumpling dough, by rounded teaspoonfuls, into the boiling soup. The dough makes about 20 dumplings. 
• Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot, and cook dumplings for 20 minutes.
• Ladle soup into bowls.

Tip: Make the crumbs by placing the crackers in a large zipper-style plastic bag. Seal bag and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers into fine crumbs.

Tip: Use a mini ice cream scoop to form the dumplings.