Hatch green chile chukar and jalapeño cheddar dumplings soup recipe

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday happenings of December, I definitely develop the winter blues. The endorphin-boosting activities of baking goods or family gatherings, sights filled with twinkling lights or soft glowing candles, smells of fresh pine and peppermint, and the sounds of bells, laughter, chatter, and the constant revolving Christmas playlist in every store carries me through the quickly darkening days towards the winter solstice, and when I come up for a breath sometime during January, a crash happens. 

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the rest provided after the conclusion of the holiday season. Not everything about December is fun. Some of it is downright terrible. The pace, expectations, pressure, and honestly that constant Christmas playlist in the stores, isn’t really all that fun. Hence the crash. Maybe it’s more of a surrender than a crash. Either way, I feel a bit off, not quite myself, maybe even lacking a little direction, as January crawls along. 

Something that always provides a helping hand to my general mood is cooking. Not “hey what’s for dinner,” all-eyes-on-you cooking. But leisurely, enjoyable, maybe help myself to a few extra spoonfuls during the tasting process, cooking. I truly revel in brainstorming a dish, matching flavors up in my head, dreaming of the colors and textures I can try and combine, smelling each step as the dish builds towards the final plate. This Hatch green chile chukar and jalapeño cheddar dumplings soup was definitely one of those cooking experiences that feeds the mouth and the soul. 

The base to this chukar and dumpling soup is phenomenal. It is oily and a bit fatty from the chukar, but with a hint of spice from the green chiles and a tangy-sweetness from the tomatillos. It had a deep, complex flavor profile, and I found it hard to quit “taste testing” for the salt level simply because I wanted to have just one more bite.

Dumpling soups are always one of my favorites. I like the chewy pieces of dumplings. And they only get better when filled with jalapeño slices and sharp white cheddar cheese. I hope you make this slowly cooked, heavenly soup for yourself this winter! I would love to see the results or hear thoughts or substitutions if you do make it. I’m always available at a12gaugegirl@huntingandcooking.com.

Hatch Green Chili Chukar and 

Jalapeno Cheddar Dumplings Soup

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Active Time: 4 and ½ hours

Also Works With: grouse, wild turkey, pheasant

Ingredients: for Hatch Green Chile Chukar Soup

  • 3 whole chukars, skinned and left on the bone
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 16 oz jar 505 Southwestern Hatch Green Chile (or other     comparable brand)
  • 16 oz jar 505 Southwestern Tomatillo Salsa
  • 7 oz can chipotles in adobo sauce
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 pint heavy cream

Ingredients: Jalapeño Cheddar Dumplings

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ¾ whole milk
  • 1 cup sharp white cheddar, shredded
  • 2 jalapeños, diced

Instructions: for Hatch Green Chile Chukar Soup

  1. Set a large crockpot to high for four hours. Add the water and salt. 
  2. Clean three whole chukars, removing the skin but leaving the meat on the bones. Add the chukars to the crockpot along with four cloves of minced garlic, four stalks of chopped celery, three chopped carrots, and one diced onion. Slow cook on high for four hours.
  3. After three hours, add the entire 16 oz jar of Hatch green chiles and half of the 16 oz jar of tomatillo salsa to the crockpot. Stir and let finish cooking for the final hour.
  4. After four hours, pull the chukars and shred the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and reserve the meat.
  5. Transfer the stock in the crock pot to a large, heavy bottomed pot over high heat on the stove top. Return the shredded chukar to the pot and begin to heat the soup.
  6. Mix the cornstarch with a half cup of water. Whisk until the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Add the liquid to the pot and stir.
  7. Bring the soup to a gentle rolling boil and allow the base to begin thickening, about three or four minutes. Once the desired thickness has been reached, drop the temperature so the soup remains at a light simmer. 
  8. Add in two minced chipotle peppers and four tablespoons of the adobo sauce. Taste the soup for heat and salt. If more heat is desired, add another minced pepper or more tablespoons of the adobo sauce. 
  9. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until incorporated.
  10. With the soup still at a simmer, add in small scoops of the jalapeño cheddar dumplings. An ice cream scoop works well for portioning out the dumplings and ensures a consistent size for all the dumplings.
  11. Cover the pot and let the dumplings steam for ten minutes. Remove the lid, quickly submerge dumplings, cover, and let cook an additional 10 minutes.
  12. To serve, ladle heapings portions of the soup in large bowls. Garnish with more shredded cheddar cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, and sour cream if desired. 

Instructions for Jalapeño Cheddar Dumplings

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  2. Mix in the minced jalapeño and shredded cheddar cheese.
  3. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture.
  4. Stir the melted butter and the whole milk together and then pour the entire mixture into the well created in the flour mixture.
  5. Mix together the flour and milk until a light, fluffy dough is formed. The dough should be slightly sticky and hold together easily. If dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. If dough is too dry, add more milk a tablespoon at a time.