Step 1

Sauté the carrots, celery, and onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium high heat until softened a bit and beginning to brown (about 3 minutes).

Step 2

Add 1/4 cup flour, stir to coat.

Step 3

Add chicken broth (4 cups) and bring to a boil.

Step 4

Turn the heat down to simmer and add 1/2 cup milk and the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, mix together the remaining 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, melted, until flour mixture is crumbly looking. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and stir until JUST combined. Do NOT over mix, or your dumplings may be dense.

Step 6

Add spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture to the simmering pot- I recommend using a small cookie scoop for this (a tablespoon can also be used).

Step 7

Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, or until dumplings are fluffy, cooked, and float to the top. No peeking!

Step 8

Serve garnished with extra fresh thyme and fresh ground pepper, if desired.