Soup: Heat oil over medium – high heat in a large (8qt/7.6L) soup pot. Add vegetables and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Stir and skim off foam from surface of soup as it boils, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, add ¼ cup (50mL) chopped dill and parsnip. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will be.
Dumplings: Combine, once soup is cooked, all ingredients in medium-size bowl and stir until a soft batter forms. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls (5mL) into simmering soup broth. Simmer for 5 minutes, turn over and continue simmering 5 minutes longer. The dumplings will be puffy. Serve immediately.
Remove dumplings from leftover soup (if there is any) and store in separate container in the refrigerator.