This Chicken Dumpling Soup is so easy to make and it's homemade. It's creamy, delicious and one of the best comfort foods out there. Just like my tater tot casserole, this a must-make recipe this Winter!
The word dumpling is one of my favorites when it comes to eating. I don't care what kind of dumpling it is, but whenever the term is used out loud, I immediately start to drool.
When I was nine years old, my parents moved us from Buffalo, NY to the South and I've been hooked on chicken and dumplings ever since. Truly a Southern staple.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Comfort Food. It's the perfect cold weather comfort meal and will warm your soul.
- Southern and Made from Scratch. The recipe is homemade and all from scratch, but not at all intimidating.
- Easy to Make. Simple biscuit like dumplings are made in minutes to drop into the soup.
- A Family Favorite. The whole family will love this one, even the kids.
Looking for more chilly weather soups? Check out my Green Chili Chicken Soup, Tomato Tortellini Soup, and Outback Baked Potato Soup.
The Ingredients:
Chicken Breast- Chicken breast is boiled in chicken stock and then shredded and added into the soup for the classic chicken and dumpling style. I love Smart Chicken for its clean appearance right out of the package. I also believe it's more tender when cooking. I can almost always tell the difference when I use another brand.
Chicken Stock- A high quality Chicken Stock is 100% mandatory to create a flavorful base for soups. I never chose broth for soup because it's watered down. Stock is made with the bones and packs a lot more depth. Kitchen Basics is my favorite, but Kirkland's brand from Costco as pictured above is a close second & it's cheaper.
Celery, Carrot and Onion- A mirepoix, which combines these three veggies and is cooked in butter and used in many French dishes. We are using the flavors for this Southern classic.
Butter & Flour- Butter helps to soften the vegetables in the soup and is then combined with flour, to create a roux. The roux allows for the creamy texture we are looking for in Chicken and Dumpling Soup.
Thyme, Garlic, Bay Leaf, Salt and Pepper and Parsley- Classic herbs & spices added for flavor.
All-purpose Flour, Baking Powder and Salt- Super simple dry ingredients for the dumplings. All purpose flour is a versatile flour that works great in dumplings and it's most likely in the pantry right now. Baking powder is used to help the dumplings rise and salt is added for flavor.
Milk and melted butter- The wet ingredients for the dumplings. Once gently mixed into the dry ingredients, the batter is fluffy and light.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Believe it or not, a lot of traditional Southern Chicken and Dumplings leave out the vegetables. I love them in this soup for additional flavor, but you can certainly leave out the vegetables you don't care for, or even all of them.
- Don't eat meat? Leave out the chicken and make dumpling soup!
- Not a fan of boiling chicken or want to save time? Buy a rotisserie chicken and remove the skin and shred the meat. It's tender and tastes delish.
How to Make Chicken Dumpling Soup:
Here are the Step by Step Instructions for this Creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup.
Step 1: Cook the Chicken
Trim any excess fat, veins or tendons off the chicken breast. Place the chicken breast in a pot and cover with one cup of chicken stock. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Drop heat to medium low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Step 2: Soften the Vegetables
While the chicken is boiling, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven over medium low heat. Add in the celery, carrot and onion and cook until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 3: Add Seasoning & Make Roux
Stir in garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cook for one minute. Sprinkle in flour and stir and cook for an additional minute.
Step 4: Add Stock
Pour in the remaining 5 cups of chicken stock and cover.
Step 5: Shred the Chicken
Once the chicken breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, carefully pull it out of the pot. Take two forks and shred the meat.
Step 6: Add the Chicken
Add the shredded chicken into the soup and continue to cook on medium low heat.
Step 7: Make the Dumplings
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 8: Complete Dumpling Dough
Pour in the melted butter and milk. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the dumpling mixture, just until combined.
Step 9: Add Dumplings to Soup
Use a spoon to drop in small chunks of dumpling dough into the soup. Use all the dough. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 10: Finish the Soup
Remove lid and sprinkle in parsley and slowly stir the soup. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 11: Serve and enjoy this yummy Chicken and Dumpling Soup!
Expert Tips:
- When boiling the chicken, it is important not to overcook it. Use an internal thermometer and make sure it's not over 165 degrees. The chicken will cook even more in the soup. We don't want it getting overcooked and rubbery.
- Try to make the dumplings pretty similar in size. This will allow for them to cook at the same rate. Remember that this is soup, so you want bite size dumplings, not too large.
- Always use chicken stock in soups opposed to chicken broth. The flavor is deeper and not watery like broth. It's extra important in hearty soups like chicken and dumpling. We want that rich flavor!
Looking for more Comfort food? Try my Stovetop Chili, Boneless Short Ribs with Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes, Guinness Shepherds Pie, and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese.
Recipe FAQs:
I start by making a small roux of butter and flour, which helps to thicken the soup. Use chicken stock instead of broth to help deepen the flavor and richness. Once you add in the dumplings, the soup will thicken a bit as well. At the end of cooking, if necessary, you can add in a cornstarch and water mixture of 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water until you get the consistency you like. I don't usually need the cornstarch step, especially in this soup recipe. We want a thick, creamy soup base, but not gravy.
All purpose flour is a great choice for dumplings. It's versatile and everyone usually has it in their pantry. These soup dumplings have the perfect texture!
Storing & Reheating:
Allow the soup to cool. Store the leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When reheating, you may need to add 1 to 2 cups of additional chicken stock because the stock absorbs into the dumplings in the fridge. I find the best way to reheat is to place the soup back into the dutch oven or a large pot and cook on medium low heat until hot.
More Chicken Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Chicken Dumpling Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Chicken Dumpling Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Chicken Dumpling Soup is so easy to make and it's homemade. It's creamy, delicious and one of the best comfort foods out there.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 3 chicken breast
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 1 cup sweet yellow onion, diced (about ½ a large onion or 1 small onion)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Dumplings:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat, veins or tendons off the chicken breast. Place the chicken breast in a pot and cover with one cup of chicken stock. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Drop heat to medium low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is boiling, in a dutch oven over medium low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add in the celery, carrot and onion and cook until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cook for one minute. Sprinkle in flour and stir and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the remaining 5 cups of chicken stock and cover.
- Once the chicken breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, carefully pull it out of the pot. Take two forks and shred the meat. Then, place the chicken into the soup. Cover the soup and continue to cook.
- For the dumplings, Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and milk. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the dumpling mixture, just until combined.
- Use a spoon to drop in small chunks of dumpling dough into the soup. Use all the dough. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and sprinkle in parsley and slowly stir the soup. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
That's it! Enjoy this yummy Chicken and Dumpling Soup!
Notes
- When boiling the chicken it is important not to overcook it. Use an internal thermometer and make sure it's not over 165 degrees. The chicken will cook even more in the soup. We don't want it getting overcooked and rubbery.
- Try to make the dumplings pretty similar in size. This will allow for them to cook at the same rate. Remember that this is soup, so you want bite size dumplings, not too large.
- Always use chicken stock in soups opposed to chicken broth. The flavor is deep and not watery like broth. It's extra important in hearty soups like chicken and dumplings. We want that rich flavor!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: southern
Robert
This soup is so yummy! Exactly what I needed on a cold day. Thanks!
Tara Smithson
You're welcome! Thanks so much for the review. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Holly
Perfect for my cold last week! Thank you for the recipe.