Hungarian Chicken and Dumpling Soup

To call this a soup or even a stew seems like a misnomer. Most soups/stews have some semblance of liquid to them. This is about as thick and gravy-ish as many Chinese dishes I've eaten and cooked in the past. That doesn't mean this is a bad "soup", though. In fact, it's quite delicious. I just felt that I should pour it on top of some rice or noodles and serve it to a family of 4. The "soup" is described as "A bold blend of white meat chicken, crimini mushrooms and Hungarian paprika, studded with plump potato dumplings, so delicious, you'll think Grandma's in the kitchen (contains bacon)."

Hungarian Chicken and Dumpling "Soup"

As noted, this is really thick and really hearty. The flavors simply explode in your mouth, though. I don't know the difference between Hungarian paprika and other paprikas, but you definitely get the subtle sweetness and heat it entails. Within the "soup" is your standard carrots, celery, and onions as well. The mushrooms didn't add a lot of flavor, but they did give a nice chewiness to the ensemble. The potato dumplings are extremely soft to the bite, but they manage to keep their shape throughout. Also, just to add to the heartiness of it all, they threw in some chopped potatoes too. You know, just in case you weren't full yet. The chicken itself is finely shredded, and the shreds have absorbed so much of the flavor of the soup itself. The only thing I didn't really get was any hint of the mentioned bacon.

In the end, this "soup" sticks to your ribs and really fills and warms you up on a cold winter day. It feels like home, but the only problem with eating this while at work is that all I want to do now is nap...