Desserts, mainly cookies, have been at the forefront around here so I thought we could all use a little real food, especially when it’s this utterly delicious and oh so comforting Chicken with Sour Cream and Chive Dumplings. It’s just what we need to come home to on these busy, holiday-shopping hectic days!!

I wish that I had thought up this homey dish myself but no, it comes straight from the pages of Simply Julia by Julia Turshen, a cookbook I have already featured in this Famous Fridays post and am still loving.

It’s one of those dishes you crave when the weather turns chilly!

And like all of Julia’s recipes, it comes together with a minimum of effort and fuss and all in one pot!

After you brown the chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven,, you simply add in chicken stock, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini and eventually a bag of baby spinach.

Once the chicken is cooked and falling apart tender you add it back to the pot.

Now it’s time to make the sour cream and chive dumplings which are satisfyingly chewy and light at the same time with so much flavor. Not only that but they also get cooked in the same pot. Hooray!

The whole thing comes together in just about an hour —part stew, part soup and entirely delicious!!

Exactly what we need in these crazy times!!!

Chicken with Sour Cream and Chive Dumplings

Makes 5-6 servings

Prep Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 ½-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 5-6 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 yellow squash, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 5 ounce bag baby spinach

For the dumplings

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• ½ cup sour cream (I used light)

• ¼ cup water

• 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives (you could sub in any herb you prefer, leave them out or even swap in scallions)

The Recipe

1. To make the chicken: Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, season the chicken with the salt and pepper on both sides. Add to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until the browned all over.

2. Add in the chicken stock, carrots, squash and zucchini and bring the liquid to a boil. Then, lower the heat to low, cover the pot and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes, until everything is tender. Transfer the chicken to a plate and once it’s cool enough, shred it. Then return it to the pot and add the spinach. Stir it a few times to let it wilt. Keep the pot warm over a low light.

3. To make the dumplings: Whisk the flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the sour cream, water and chives.

4. Drop dollops (about 2 tablespoon-size worths) of the batter right into the hot pot and turn the heat to high to bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for about 15 more minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for 10 minutes to allow. the dumplings to finish cooking completely. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Simply Julia by Julia Turshen. I added some yellow summer squash and zucchini, increased the carrots and switched up the spices a bit. This is one of those you can totally make your own.