Tex-Mex Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Cumin, Coriander & Cilantro Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings is one of my all time favorite comfort foods.  If a certain food could be a security blanket, chicken and dumplings would rate 10/10 for me.  But today I began to think about adding a different flavor profile to my regular recipe.  This is one of those that the more I thought about it, the more sense it made!  Here is the end result:  a thick stew full of Tex-Mex flavors, vegetables and a very unique dumpling.  If you don't care for cilantro, no problem.  Simply leave out the cilantro.  

3 lbs. bone in chicken breasts

3 quarts chicken broth 

1/2 t. salt

2 T. butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 carrots, sliced lengthwise and chopped

1 T. chopped garlic

1 T. self-rising flour

2 t. ground cumin

2 t. ground coriander

2 T. Tome's Southwest Chipotle Seasoning

1 (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Mexicorn, drained

1 can Rotel tomatoes (your choice of flavor/heat)

For the dumplings:

2 cups self-rising flour

2/3 cup whole milk

1/4 cup shortening

1 T. finely chopped cilantro

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground coriander

lime zest and additional chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large Dutch oven, add the chicken, chicken broth, and salt.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  When the chicken is cooked through, about an hour or so depending on the size of the breasts, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside until cooled.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter.  Add onions, bell pepper, and carrots.  Sprinkle with a little salt and let vegetables saute until they begin to soften, 5 - 6 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and let cook 2 - 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetable mixture to the broth and bring to a gentle simmer.  Stir in seasonings, beans, corn and Rotels.  Let cook, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

When chicken has cooled, remove skin and discard.  Take chicken from the bone and gently shred meat with your fingers.  Add shredded chicken to the stew and stir to combine.

Now to make the dumplings:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and shortening.  Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut shortening into flour until it resembles small pebbles.  Slowly pour in milk and stir to combine.  Fold in cilantro and seasonings.

Sprinkle a little flour on a cutting board of a piece of parchment paper.  Carefully pat off the dough with your hands until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  With a sharp knife cut dough into 1 inch squares.

Slowly drop the squares of dough into the simmer stew.  DO NOT STIR. Stirring will cause the dumplings to fall apart.  Continue adding the squares of dough until all are in the pot.  Cover and let simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through.  About halfway through you can very carefully stir to make sure that none of the chicken is sticking on the bottom.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with lime zest or additional cilantro.