Chicken and Dumplings

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This EASY Chicken and Dumplings recipe is a comforting, creamy chicken soup with simple homemade dumplings that make it irresistible! It's hearty, loaded with vegetables, and is the perfect meal to make on a chilly day.

Looking for more soup recipes? Try Cioppino, Beef Noodle Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, or Pozole Verde!

Why I love this recipe:

• Comforting – One of my favorite soups to enjoy on a chilly day, homemade Chicken and Dumplings soup hits the spot every single time!
• Crowd Pleaser – Every age family member loves this meal. It's full of flavor, loaded with fresh veggies and homemade dumplings and lower in sodium than store-bought. The taste can't be beat.

How to make Chicken and Dumplings:

Sauté Veggies: Heat a large pot with oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onion and sauté for 3 minutes then add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Dump in butter and flour and whisk well for 1 minute.

Pour in Broth and Seasonings: Stir in chicken broth and bouillon, scraping up anything on the bottom. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and let rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding. Add evaporated milk and peas to the broth.

Make Dumplings for Soup: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add milk, sour cream and melted butter. Stir until combined, but don’t over mix.

Add Dumplings: Bring soup to a simmer and then use a small spoon to drop teaspoon-sized amounts of dough all over the top of the simmering soup (the dumplings will double in size as they cook).

Simmer: Cover the pot and simmer on low for 12-15 minutes. Remove lid, gently stir to break dumplings apart, and scoop out a dumpling to check for doneness. If still doughy, cover and cook for a few more minutes, until tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Stir in chicken.

Serve: Ladle warm chicken dumpling soup into bowls or bread bowls, with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley on top.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Make this easy chicken and dumplings 1-3 days ahead of time, excluding the dumplings. When ready to eat, rewarm on the stove, bring to a simmer and add dumplings.

To Freeze: Leftover soup may be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw chicken and dumpling soup overnight in the fridge before rewarming on the stove.

Recipe Variations:

• Chicken: I recommend thighs, because they have more fat and won't dry out or overcook as easily, but breast meat will also work. To use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken (or turkey), simply skip the step of cooking the chicken, and stir in cooked chicken just before cooking the dumplings.
• Bouillon: I use chicken better than bouillon base because the flavor is bolder, but 4 regular chicken bouillon cubes may be used.
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings: Prepare steps 1 and 2 in a skillet. Add everything to slow cooker, and add chicken. Cook on low for 5-6 hours (if using thighs) or High for 2-3 hours. Make dumplings and spoon them over the top of the hot soup, as directed in this recipe. Press them under the liquid a little before applying the lid. Slow cook on HIGH for 45 minutes. Break dumplings apart if needed and test for doneness.

Recipe

4.99 from 1100 votes

Chicken and Dumplings

Make the ultimate Chicken and Dumplings from scratch with this foolproof recipe that features soft, fluffy homemade dumplings in a creamy chicken soup with vegetables. This cozy one-pot meal is perfect for cold winter nights and uses simple pantry ingredients to create the kind of soul-warming comfort food that brings the whole family to the table.

Print Pin Review

Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 445

Cost 15

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 40 minutes mins

Total 55 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Pot
• Knife

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 celery , ribs, diced
• ▢ 2 carrots , large, diced
• ▢ 1 yellow onion , chopped
• ▢ 1 clove garlic , minced
• ▢ 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste , better than bouillon base*
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• ▢ 12 oz evaporated milk , canned
• ▢ ½ cup frozen peas
• ▢ fresh chopped parsley , for garnish

For the Dumplings:

• ▢ 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup milk
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons butter , melted

Instructions

 

• Sauté Veggies: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil. Once hot, add celery, carrots and onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add butter and flour and whisk well for 1 minute.
  2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 celery, 2 carrots, 1 yellow onion, 1 clove garlic, 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• Add Broth and Seasonings: Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bouillon, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper.
  6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon dried sage, ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Add chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Stir add evaporated milk and peas.
  1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, 12 oz evaporated milk, ½ cup frozen peas
• Make Dumplings: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add milk, sour cream and melted butter. Stir until combined, but don’t over mix.
  1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cup milk, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 Tablespoons butter
• Add Dumplings: Bring soup to a simmer and then use a small spoon to drop teaspoon-sized amounts of dough all over the top of the simmering soup (the dumplings will double in size as they cook).
• Cover the pot and simmer on low for 12-15 minutes. Remove lid, gently stir to break dumplings apart, and scoop out a dumpling to check for doneness. If still doughy, cover and cook for a few more minutes, until tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Chop chicken and add to soup.
• Serve warm, with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley on top.
  fresh chopped parsley

Notes

Pro Tip: Choose a wide pot to cook the soup, over a narrow/tall pot, so there is more surface area to add the dumplings in a single layer. 

Chicken: To use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken (or turkey), skip the step of cooking the chicken, and stir in cooked chicken at the end. If using chicken thighs, you can add the chopped cooked chicken to the pot with the evaporated milk and peas.

Bouillon: I use chicken better than bouillon base because the flavor is bolder, but 4 regular chicken bouillon cubes may be used.

Make Ahead Instructions: This soup tastes great reheated! 

Freezing Instructions: Leftover soup may be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rewarming on the stove.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings: Sauté veggies in a skillet. Add butter and flour. Transfer everything to slow cooker, adding broth, milk, spices and chicken. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or High for 2-3 hours. Make dumplings and spoon them over the top of the hot soup, as directed in this recipe. Press them under the liquid a little before applying the lid. Slow cook on HIGH for 45 minutes. Break dumplings apart if needed and test for doneness.

Gluten-free Adaptations: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour, and chicken bouillon.

Macros Recipe Adaptation

1 ½ cups celery, 1 ½ cups carrots, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, ¾ unsweetened almond milk, ¼ cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

Per Serving Amount

508 grams

Macros

530 kcal, Fat: 20g, Carbs 50g, Protein: 38g

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 16gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 1329mgPotassium: 656mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 5250IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 373mgIron: 3mg

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