Chicken Soup with Chive Dumplings

So thick, you could almost call this soup a stew; add a green salad and you've got a meal.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup baby carrots, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup nonfat milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

Heat oil in a large stock pot (with a tight-fitting lid) over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add chicken and saute 5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides. Add bay leaves, thyme, pepper, and sage and stir. Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Work in butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Add milk and stir with a fork until mixture comes together. Fold in chives.

Add peas to simmering liquid in pot and return to a simmer.

Using a large spoon, drop 8 ball-shaped dumplings (slightly bigger than golf balls) into liquid. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes (without lifting lid), until dumplings are tender and cooked through (they'll be firm to the touch).

Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Ladle soup and dumplings into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley.