Here it goes

With my sexy husband's help, I choose a few recipes from my new cookbook (Rachel Ray's Big Orange Book) to try this week. The first was "Creamy Chicken Dumping Stoup." The dumplings in this "stoup" (Rachel Ray's term for a main dish that is thicker than a soup and thinner than a stew) are Gnocchi. I had never had Gnocchi before, but my sexy husband loves them. Gnocchi are really thick, soft noodles. They can be made out of flour or bread crumbs or potatoes. I think the reason my sexy husband loves them so much is because they are basically balls of dough, and he LOVES dough.

Anyway this soup is made with chicken, a couple of leeks (they have a very mild onion flavor), celery, broth, and cream. Plus the starch from the gnocchi adds thickness. I know I say this more often than I probably should...but my sexy husband and I agreed that this was one of the best soups we had ever had. He wanted me to make it again the very next week (I didn't).

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Stoup

3 leeks
4-5 small celery stalks
2 Tbsp olive oil (I'll spare you the "EVOO")
salt and pepper

1 bay leaf
4 c chicken broth
2 c heavy cream
1 lb chicken breasts or tenders, diced
2 (12 oz) packages gnocchi
A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (I forgot to buy some so I had to use dried)
1 tsp sweet paprika
3 Tbsp dry sherry (I used the nasty cooking sherry)

Trim off the top 3-4 inches of the leeks and the roots and the bottom. Halve them and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Rinse really well. Thinly slice the celery.

Saute leeks and celery in oil with salt, pepper, and bay leaf for about 5 min. Add stock and bring to boil. Stir in cream and reduce heat to simmer.

Rachel Ray says to add chicken and gnocchi "when the soup bubbles." I'm not really sure when that will be if you're decreasing from a boil to a simmer. I just waited a few minutes. Then you're supposed to cook the whole thing for another 5-6 min...which made me think that she forgot to tell me to cook the chicken ahead so I grilled it before I put it into the soup.

After the soup becomes creamy stew stir in parsley, paprika, and sherry.

Serve immediately. This is a REALLY filling soup. My sexy husband and I both have very big appetites, and we were full after one large bowl.

The soup reheats quite well. I just added a bit more water before microwaving or it's way too thick.

I really hope you try this soup. I'll want to run out and buy the cookbook after you do. :)