Chicken Soup with Dumplings (Printable)
A warm blend of tender chicken, vegetables, and soft homemade dumplings in rich broth.
# What You Need:
→ Soup
01 - 1.5 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
02 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 3 carrots, sliced
06 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 bay leaves
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dumplings
13 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
14 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
15 - 3/4 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives or parsley, chopped (optional)
18 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
19 - 3/4 cup whole milk
# How-To:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Place chicken pieces into the pot. Pour in chicken broth, then add bay leaves, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper.
04 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, skimming any foam that forms on the surface.
05 - Remove chicken, shred meat with two forks, discarding bones and skin if present. Return shredded chicken to the pot and discard bay leaves.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in chopped fresh parsley.
07 - In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and optional herbs. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
08 - Drop spoonfuls of dough, about 1 tablespoon each, onto the surface of the simmering soup.
09 - Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
10 - After 15 minutes, verify that dumplings are cooked through and firm inside.
11 - Serve hot, garnished with additional fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dumplings are ridiculously fluffy because they steam right in the broth instead of being fussy and complicated.
- You can have a complete, restaurant-quality meal on the table in just over an hour with ingredients you probably already have.
- One pot means less cleanup, and honestly, that alone is worth celebrating.
02 -
- The biggest mistake is overmixing that dumpling dough—I learned this the hard way when I stirred mine like I was kneading bread and ended up with rubbery little lumps instead of pillowy clouds.
- Never, and I mean never, lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking or you'll let all the steam escape and they'll never puff up properly.
- Bone-in chicken really does make better broth, and it's actually cheaper than boneless, so there's no reason not to use it here.
03 -
- Taste your broth before you add the dumplings because you can adjust seasoning easily then, but it's harder once everything is cooked together.
- If your dumplings come out dense, your dough was probably too wet or too worked—next time, add milk a little more conservatively and barely stir.