Description
Chicken and Dumplings Soup is a classic Southern comfort food featuring tender bone-in chicken, fluffy homemade dumplings, and a rich, savory broth made with mirepoix vegetables and fresh herbs. This soul-soothing dish is easy to prepare with simple ingredients, adaptable to your preferences, and perfect for any season or family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (about 3-4 pieces)
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk or cream (or dairy-free alternative such as coconut or almond milk)
Broth and Vegetables
- 4 cups chicken broth (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1–2 bay leaves
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Season the bone-in chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a large pot, sear the chicken until golden brown on all sides. This step locks in flavor and adds richness to your broth.
- Build the Broth: Add diced onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook until softened. Pour in the chicken broth, add fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and black pepper. Simmer gently until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
- Make the Dumpling Dough: While the soup simmers, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and a bit of milk or cream to create a soft dumpling dough. Be careful not to overmix to ensure fluffy dumplings.
- Add Dumplings and Finish Cooking: Remove the cooked chicken from the broth and shred the meat finely. Bring the broth to a gentle boil. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough into the simmering broth. Cover the pot and cook for 15–20 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and gently stir to combine all ingredients.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken for the most flavorful broth and tender meat.
- Do not overmix the dumpling dough to keep dumplings light and airy.
- Simmer the soup gently while cooking dumplings to prevent breaking them apart.
- Shred chicken finely for better integration with dumplings and broth.
- Add fresh herbs late in cooking to preserve their bright flavor and aroma.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soups
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg