Chicken and Dumpling Soup

There’s something about a warm bowl of chicken and dumpling soup that feels like a hug in a bowl. With its rich broth, tender chicken, and fluffy dumplings, this dish has a way of making even the coldest days feel cozy. But beyond its comforting qualities, chicken and dumpling soup has a rich history and culinary significance that makes it a timeless classic.

Chicken and dumpling soup is a dish with roots in multiple cultures, though it’s most commonly associated with Southern American cooking. Early settlers in the United States adapted European recipes to create hearty meals with the ingredients they had on hand. Dumplings, which were easy to make with flour, water, and sometimes eggs, became a staple in many kitchens. Combined with chicken, a readily available protein, the dish became a symbol of resourcefulness and simplicity.

The Perfect Bowl of Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Making chicken and dumpling soup from scratch isn’t as daunting as it might seem. The key is to balance the flavors and textures. Here’s a breakdown of the essential components:

1. The Broth: A good chicken and dumpling soup starts with a flavorful broth. Flavored with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and other spices, will take this dish to the next level.
2. The Chicken: Tender, shredded chicken is at the heart of this soup. You can use breast or thighs. After cooking, the chicken is shredded and added back to the broth.
3. The Dumplings: Dumplings are what set this soup apart. They can be made in two primary styles: rolled or drop. Rolled dumplings are thin and noodle-like, while drop dumplings are soft, fluffy, and spooned directly into the simmering soup. Either way, they’re made with a simple dough of flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and sometimes butter or shortening. This recipe takes on another level with the addition of sour cream, chives, and cheese.
4. The Vegetables: While traditional recipes keep it simple, many modern versions include vegetables like carrots, celery, and peas for added nutrition and color.

How to make chicken and dumpling soup

Start by seasoning your chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Preheat a pot over medium-high heat while you dice your onion, carrots, and celery. Add some oil to the pot and sear off the chicken until a crust forms on both sides, leaving a good fond on the bottom of the pan. Fond are those golden brown bits found on the bottom of the pan from cooking meat.

Remove the chicken and add in the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened. Then add in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook out for about a minute, before adding in some butter.

Once the butter is melted, add in some flour and mix to combine. Pour in some white wine and mix until the alcohol burns off. Next, slowly whisk in some chicken broth before adding in the chicken. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender enough to shred.

While the chicken is simmering away, make the dumpling dough. Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, Italian seasoning, and butter. Use your fingers to mash the butter into the flour. Now add in the milk, sour cream, chives, and cheese. Mix to combine.

Once the chicken is nice and tender, remove to a bowl and shred. Add back to the pot. Now start taking little spoon fulls of the dough and drop them into the simmering pot. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Ladle in your soup into a serving bowl getting a good combination of chicken and dumplings with the delicious broth. Top with fresh chives. Hope you enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings Soup

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Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

17

minutes

1

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Ingredients

• For the soup

• 2 lbs chicken breast or thighs

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 1 white onion, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 5 cups chicken stock

• 1 cup whole milk

• For the dumplings

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 2 tbsp chives, chopped

• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

• Start by seasoning all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Preheat a pot over medium-high and add in 2 tbsp of avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, lay in the chicken and sear on both sides until a nice golden crust forms, and some fond is left on the bottom of the pot. About 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and reduce the heat to medium.
• Add in the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and season with salt and pepper. About 1/2 tsp of each. Sauté until soft. About 7 minutes. Then add in the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for 30 seconds then add in the butter.
• Once the butter melts, sprinkle in the flour and mix together. Pour in the wine and mix for about 30 seconds. Next, slowly whisk in 2 cups of the chicken broth. You want to do this slowly so prevent clumps. Then you can mix in the other 3 cups of chicken broth.
• Add back in the chicken to the pot. Bring to a light simmer and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender enough to shred.
• While the chicken is simmering, make the dumpling dough. To a large bowl, add in the flour, salt, Italian seasoning, baking powder, and butter. Use your fingers to crush the butter down with the flour.
• Now add in the milk, sour cream, chives, and cheddar. Mix to combine and set aside.
• Once the chicken is tender, remove from the pot and shred. Add it back to the pot along with the milk and bring to a light simmer. Using two spoons, or an ice cream scooper, start dropping in spoonfuls of the dumpling dough. Make as big or small of dumplings as you would like. They will expand a bit once they cook. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cut the heat and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve your delicious comforting soup in bowls and top with fresh chives. Hope you enjoy!

Notes

• Recipe credit
• The classic Moscow Mule is served in a copper mug.