This Chicken Dumpling Soup is homemade, creamy, hearty, and simple enough for a cozy weeknight dinner. Tender shredded chicken, a rich chicken stock base, soft vegetables, and fluffy drop dumplings come together in one warm bowl of classic comfort food. If you love easy winter soup recipes, this creamy chicken and dumpling soup is a must-make meal for cold weather.
There is something special about the word dumpling. Whether it is used for a savory soup, a fluffy biscuit-style topping, or a comforting homemade dish, it immediately sounds warm and satisfying. This chicken dumpling soup brings that feeling straight to the table.
After moving from Buffalo, New York, to the South as a child, chicken and dumplings quickly became a favorite. This recipe keeps that Southern comfort food feeling while making the process approachable for home cooks. The dumplings are made from scratch with basic pantry ingredients, and the creamy soup base is rich without being complicated.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Comfort Food. This creamy chicken dumpling soup is warm, filling, and perfect for chilly evenings.
- Southern and Made from Scratch. The soup and dumplings are homemade, but the steps are simple and easy to follow.
- Easy to Make. The biscuit-style dumplings come together in minutes and are dropped directly into the simmering soup.
- A Family Favorite. Tender chicken, mild vegetables, and soft dumplings make this a recipe both adults and kids can enjoy.
If you are looking for more cold-weather meals, creamy soups and hearty casseroles are always great options for simple family dinners.
The Ingredients:
Chicken Breast – Chicken breast is cooked in chicken stock, shredded, and added back into the soup. This gives the recipe its classic chicken and dumplings texture and flavor. Be careful not to overcook the chicken so it stays tender.
Chicken Stock – A good-quality chicken stock is important for building a flavorful soup base. Stock has a richer taste than broth and helps create the depth needed for a hearty chicken dumpling soup.
Celery, Carrot, and Onion – These vegetables create a flavorful base for the soup. They are cooked in butter until softened before the stock is added.
Butter and Flour – Butter softens the vegetables and combines with flour to form a simple roux. This helps thicken the soup and gives it a creamy texture without turning it into gravy.
Thyme, Garlic, Bay Leaf, Salt, Pepper, and Parsley – These herbs and seasonings add balanced flavor to the chicken soup. The bay leaf simmers in the broth, while fresh parsley is added near the end for a fresh finish.
All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt – These dry ingredients form the base of the homemade dumplings. All-purpose flour works well for soft, fluffy dumplings, while baking powder helps them rise.
Milk and Melted Butter – These wet ingredients bring the dumpling dough together. Mix gently to keep the dumplings light and tender.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Some traditional Southern chicken and dumplings recipes do not include vegetables. If you prefer a simpler soup, you can leave out any vegetables you do not like or skip them completely.
- If you do not eat meat, leave out the chicken and make a comforting dumpling soup with the same creamy base.
- If you do not want to boil chicken or need to save time, use shredded rotisserie chicken. Remove the skin before adding the meat to the soup.
How to Make Chicken Dumpling Soup:
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make creamy chicken dumpling soup from scratch.
Step 1: Cook the Chicken
Trim any excess fat, veins, or tendons from the chicken breasts. Place the chicken in a pot and cover it with 1 cup of chicken stock. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Step 2: Soften the Vegetables
While the chicken cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
Step 3: Add Seasoning and Make the Roux
Stir in the garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour, then stir and cook for another minute to form a light roux.
Step 4: Add Stock
Pour in the remaining 5 cups of chicken stock. Stir well, cover, and allow the soup base to continue cooking over medium-low heat.
Step 5: Shred the Chicken
When the chicken reaches 165 degrees, carefully remove it from the pot. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Step 6: Add the Chicken
Add the shredded chicken to the soup. Continue cooking over medium-low heat while you prepare the dumpling dough.
Step 7: Make the Dumplings
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and set it aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 8: Finish the Dumpling Dough
Pour the melted butter and milk into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the dough just until combined. Avoid overmixing so the dumplings stay soft.
Step 9: Add Dumplings to the Soup
Use a spoon to drop small pieces of dumpling dough into the soup. Use all of the dough, spacing the dumplings throughout the pot. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 10: Finish the Soup
Remove the lid, sprinkle in the parsley, and gently stir the soup. Cover again and cook for another 5 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through.
Step 11: Serve warm and enjoy this homemade chicken and dumpling soup.
Expert Tips:
- Do not overcook the chicken. Use an internal thermometer and remove the chicken when it reaches 165 degrees. It will continue cooking slightly once added back to the soup.
- Try to keep the dumplings similar in size so they cook evenly. Since this is soup, smaller bite-size dumplings work best.
- Use chicken stock instead of chicken broth for the richest flavor. Stock gives this creamy chicken dumpling soup a deeper, heartier base.
This recipe is ideal when you want a filling comfort food dinner made with simple ingredients. The creamy broth, tender chicken, and soft homemade dumplings make it especially satisfying during fall and winter.
Recipe FAQs:
A small roux made from butter and flour helps thicken the soup. Chicken stock also adds richness and body. Once the dumplings cook in the soup, the base thickens a little more. If you want it thicker at the end, you can stir together 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and add it slowly until the soup reaches your preferred consistency. The goal is a creamy soup base, not a gravy-like texture.
All-purpose flour is a great choice for dumplings. It is versatile, easy to find, and creates a soft, tender texture when mixed gently with baking powder, salt, milk, and melted butter.
Storing & Reheating:
Allow the soup to cool before storing. Place leftovers in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
When reheating, you may need to add 1 to 2 cups of additional chicken stock because the dumplings absorb liquid as the soup sits in the refrigerator. For best results, reheat the soup in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-low heat until hot, stirring gently so the dumplings do not break apart.
More Chicken Recipes You Will Love:
- Baked Chicken Kofta Recipe
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas
- Crispy Chicken Burgers
- Ground Chicken Mini Meatball Soup with Noodles
If you tried this Chicken Dumpling Soup Recipe, leave a star rating and share how it turned out in the comments. I love hearing from you.
Recipe
Chicken Dumpling Soup
- Author: Tara Smithson
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
This homemade Chicken Dumpling Soup is creamy, comforting, and full of tender shredded chicken with soft, fluffy dumplings. It is a hearty Southern-style soup made from scratch with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 3 chicken breasts
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 1 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
- 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 from the chicken breasts. Place the chicken in a pot and cover it with 1 cup of chicken stock. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- While the chicken cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour, stir well, and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the remaining 5 cups of chicken stock. Stir, cover, and continue cooking over medium-low heat.
- When the chicken reaches 165 degrees, remove it from the pot and shred it with two forks. Add the shredded chicken to the soup and keep the soup covered while it cooks.
- For the dumplings, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the melted butter and milk. Gently mix with a wooden spoon just until combined.
- Use a spoon to drop small pieces of dumpling dough into the soup. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle in the parsley, gently stir, cover again, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve warm and enjoy this creamy homemade chicken dumpling soup.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Wooden spoon
- Internal thermometer
Notes
- Use an internal thermometer to avoid overcooking the chicken. Remove it when it reaches 165 degrees.
- Keep the dumplings close in size so they cook evenly.
- Chicken stock gives the soup a deeper, richer flavor than chicken broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern