Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Soup
on Nov 30, 2021, Updated Jun 27, 2024
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Old fashioned chicken and dumplings soup is a simple and cozy soup recipe that is fun and easy to make, tastes so delicious, and is great for a group.
THIS SOUP. It’s a winner, that’s for sure. And everyone in my house agrees (yep, even the littles). This cozy one-pot wonder has something for everyone. The flavor is hearty and delicious thanks to onion, carrot, celery, chicken broth, and garlic, plus a few herbs, and the chicken thighs are moist and melt-in-your-mouth good. Traditionally, chicken and dumplings soup is a Southern staple, so any Southern-ish sides go well with it: corn, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, or broccoli salad are all good contenders.
But the real star of the show here is the DUMPLINGS. And they are darling, delicious little dumplings. Plus, if you’ve never made a dumpling soup, you may be surprised to find out the dumplings cook right inside the pot of soup! Yup, just drop small globs of dough right into the simmering concoction, cover with a lid, and in just about 15 minutes, they’ll be cooked through and you’re ready to boogie with a big bowl of soup. It’s a stunning, warming, and crowd-pleasing one-pot meal that I could have again and again. I hope you feel the same way.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Truly anyone can make this soup, and it’s a perfect simple recipe that can be made in less than an hour.
- It has a hearty and wholesome ingredients, lovely flavor, and a good balance of protein, veggies, and yummy, puffy dumplings.
- You can easily make the chicken soup ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer. When ready to serve, simply reheat the soup and add the dumplings for a fresh and delicious meal in minutes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – Can be subbed for margarine
- Vegetables – Yellow onion, carrots, celery
- Chicken – I used thighs, but any chicken will do
- Seasonings – Salt, dried thyme, black pepper
- Garlic – Fresh, minced
- Flour – All-purpose
- Chicken stock
- Parsley – I used fresh
- Milk – You can substitute with your favorite dairy-free alternative
- Baking powder
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Soup
Step 1. In a pot, sauté chopped chicken thighs with onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until chicken is browned.
Step 3. Make dumpling dough: Mix flour, salt, baking powder, milk, and melted butter until just combined.
Step 2. Stir in flour, then add chicken stock. Simmer until thickened.
Step 4. Drop dough into simmering soup, cook until dumplings are fluffy. Serve with parsley.
Recipe FAQs
To thicken chicken and dumplings soup (or any soup for that matter), add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour to a mixing bowl. Stir in enough cold water to form a thin paste with no lumps when whisked together. Stir in the mixture to the soup to thicken it up slightly.
When the dumplings are done, they should rise to the top of the soup. Cut one in half with a spoon to check out the inside. It should have air bubbles and have the consistency of a soft biscuit. If it’s gummy in the middle, continue cooking them for 2 to 3 more minutes.
Expert Tips
- Using chicken thighs instead of breast meat adds extra flavor and moisture to the soup, ensuring a more succulent and delicious end result.
- Don’t rush the veggie and take your time sautéing the onions, carrots, and celery to develop rich caramelization and deepen the flavor profile of the soup base.
- Properly thicken the soup by stirring the flour into the chicken and vegetables until fully combined to create a roux that will thicken the soup without clumping. This step ensures a smooth and velvety texture.
- Distribute the dumpling dough evenly across the surface of the simmering soup to ensure uniform cooking. Avoid overcrowding or piling them in one spot to achieve consistent results.
- To ensure the dumplings are fully cooked, they should have risen to the top at this point. You can cut it in half with a spoon. It should be filled with little air bubbles and cooked through like a soft biscuit, without being gummy in the middle. If they aren’t cooked through, cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
How to Serve and Store Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Soup
You can pair them with some complementary sides to round out the meal such as a cabbage salad, steamed vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, or carrots, biscuits, breadsticks, cornbread, or mashed potatoes. A ambrosia fruit salad can add a sweet element to the meal, balancing out the richness of the chicken and dumplings.
Transfer any leftover chicken and dumplings to an airtight container once they have cooled to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, you may need to add a splash of chicken stock or water to loosen the soup and prevent it from becoming too thick.
Allow the chicken and dumplings to cool completely before freezing. Transfer to freezer-safe containers or resealable bags, making sure to leave some space for expansion. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then gently reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
More Soup Recipes to Consider
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How to Make Chicken or Turkey Broth
Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Chicken Recipes
Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Instant Pot Bone Broth
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Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Soup
Ingredients
For the chicken soup:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Additional salt and pepper, to taste
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter and then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped chicken thighs, salt, thyme, and ground black pepper, and stir until the chicken is about cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir to combine. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and stir until the chicken is coated well.
- Stir in the chicken stock.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the mixture is simmering, make your dumplings by combining the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the milk and melted butter. Stir until the mixture comes together, being careful to not over-stir.
- Make sure the chicken mixture is simmering, add the dumpling dough, about 1 large tablespoon at a time, to the simmering chicken soup. I like to use two spoons to do this. Use one spoon to scoop up some of the dumpling dough and the other to push the dough into the simmering pot.
- Add dumplings all over the pot (not all in one spot) until you have used all of your dough.
- Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat slightly.
- Cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and scoop out a dumpling to check for doneness. They should have risen to the top at this point. You can cut it in half with a spoon. It should be filled with little air bubbles and cooked through like a soft biscuit, without being gummy in the middle. If they aren’t cooked through, cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle the top with the fresh parsley. Serve the dumplings with a scoop of soup beneath them.
Notes
- Using chicken thighs instead of breast meat adds extra flavor and moisture to the soup, ensuring a more succulent and delicious end result.
- Don't rush the veggie and take your time sautéing the onions, carrots, and celery to develop rich caramelization and deepen the flavor profile of the soup base.
- Distribute the dumpling dough evenly across the surface of the simmering soup to ensure uniform cooking. Avoid overcrowding or piling them in one spot to achieve consistent results.
- To ensure the dumplings are fully cooked,they should have risen to the top at this point. You can cut it in half with a spoon. It should be filled with little air bubbles and cooked through like a soft biscuit, without being gummy in the middle. If they aren’t cooked through, cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Nutrition
Chicken and dumplings soup is the perfect easy soup recipe that’s equally flavor-filled, hearty, and fun for everyone to enjoy!
In the section on how to make the dumplings you state to use baking soda along with the flour and salt. You corrected this in the recipe when you state to use baking powder. If anyone wants to use buttermilk or sour milk then they would use baking soda.
25 degrees tonight in Massachusetts and this soup hit the spot! Everyone in my family really enjoyed it. We will be making it again. Thanks for another fantastic recipe. 😊
Love this recipe and the soup gets rave reviews! I pull apart a rotisserie chicken from the store instead of handling raw chicken. Perfecto!
I just made this again tonight with no issues, I think you did something wrong…
Made this last night for my family and it was awesome. Only change I made was using chicken breast instead of thighs. Hardly any leftovers. Our new go to winter soup. Thanks.
Do you think your baking powder could have been too old? It sound like something wasn’t measured right or that your baking powder wasn’t active anymore.
This was absolutely wonderful! Made it on a cold October night, after a day of wind and rain. My husband had three helpings. Thank you!
Can you please explain what you mean by a slurry? I’ve never heard that term before.
Thank you!
It’s a term referring to the cornstarch and water mixture!