Winter Chicken Soup and Ricotta Dumplings

Step 1

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat until melted. Stir in the onions, carrots, squash and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the dried thyme and oregano. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Stir in the chicken. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the squash has softened.

Step 3

While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings. Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta and egg until combined. Add the ricotta mixture to the flour, and mix until it's all moistened and combined. It will be thick and almost like a dough. If it seems too thick (this will depend on your ricotta!) add a tablespoon of milk and stir. You don’t want to overmix.

Step 4

Uncover the soup. Stir in the cream. Stir in the kale.

Step 5

Scoop spoonfuls of the dumplings in the soup while it is simmering. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, then flip the dumplings over with a spoon. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes more.

Step 6

Taste and season the soup with more salt and pepper if needed. You can serve this with a dollop of ricotta on top or even stir some more ricotta into the soup.