This is the ultimate tried-and-tested Chicken Dumpling Soup recipe! Moist, tender chicken cooks up in a creamy sauce with carrots, onion, chicken broth, and more. Add rich, buttery dumplings and you’ll be smitten with this dish for life!
Looking for more cozy chicken dishes? You’re going to love my Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Shredded Chicken Sandwiches, Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, and my date night-favorite Creamy Mushroom Garlic Chicken!
Why This Recipe Works
It’s rich and comforting: Creamy chicken and fluffy dumplings makes the most comforting soup with familiar flavors the whole family will love. It’s a classic for a reason!
It’s a simple one pot meal. I’ll not say no to some buttered dinner rolls or a green salad on the side, but you really don’t need them – this Chicken and Dumplings Soup is the perfect one pot dinner.
There is space for more veggies. As I’ve just mentioned, Chicken and Dumplings is a classic. So I’ve kept this recipe simple with just onions, carrots and peas so it suits everyone, but you can easily add mushrooms and celery if that is how Mom made it!
Ingredients
- Minced garlic: Or 1 fresh minced garlic clove per 1 tsp.
- Skinless boneless chicken thighs: Using chicken thighs instead of breasts makes sure the chicken stays moist not dry.
- Low sodium chicken broth: Adjust the amount of salt if you can’t find a low sodium variety.
- Heavy cream or half and half: Choose depending on how rich you want the soup to be.
Here’s How You Make It
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the vegetables: Heat the butter and the oil together in a large, lidded saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium high heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the carrots, onion, celery and salt. Gently fry for 8-10 minutes until soft, and just starting to color. (photos 1-2)
- Add the chicken: Stir in the garlic, and cook for a further 2 minutes until aromatic before adding the chicken, the thyme and the bay leaves. (photo 3)
- Thicken the soup: Add the flour, stirring so that the flour coats everything in the pot. Cook for a further 2 minutes. (photos 4-5)
- Add the broth: Gradually pour the chicken broth into the pan, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the heavy cream or half and half, and reduce the heat to a simmer, leaving to cook uncovered for 15 minutes. (photos 6-8)
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken thighs from the soup and shred on a cutting board with two forks. (photo 9)
- Make the dumplings: Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Add the heavy cream and melted butter, and bring together into a sticky yet uniform dough. (photos 10-12)
- Shape the dumplings: Return the chicken to the soup and stir it in. (photo 13) Spoon the dumpling mixture into the soup, allowing for 2 dumplings per person. Cover, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. (photo 14-16)
- Add the peas: Add the frozen peas, and stir gently to turn over the dumplings so they cook through. Cook for a further 5 minutes. (photo 17)
- Season to taste: Season to taste with black pepper and more soup if needed before serving. (photo 18)
Tiffany’s Top Tips
- Use rotisserie chicken. 4 large handfuls of rotisserie chicken can be added to the soup instead of cooking the chicken in the pan, but you’ll still need to simmer the vegetables for 15 minutes before adding it to the pot to develop the flavors.
- Don’t microwave the dumplings. Heat leftovers through in the soup on the stovetop instead to stop them turning chewy.
- Make sure you use cold cream: If the cream is not refrigerator-cold when you add it to the dumpling mix they will become too sticky to shape. They also won’t be as light and tender!
Frequently Asked Questions
This soup will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
You can use 2 large chicken breasts, but you’ll need to quarter them to make sure they cook through evenly in the soup. But, chicken thighs will produce a better flavor.
More Easy Comfort Food Recipes To Try
- Easy French Onion Chicken Breasts
- Ground Beef Stroganoff with Sour Cream
- Easy Thai Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
- Easy Instant Pot Roast with Potatoes
- Baked Chicken and Potatoes with Dijon Cream Sauce
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
For the Chicken Soup
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots - peeled and diced
- 1 large brown or white onion - peeled and finely diced
- 1 large celery stick - diced
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs - see note
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream - or half and half
- ⅔ cup frozen peas
- cracked black pepper - to taste
For the Dumplings
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold heavy cream
- 2 tbsp melted butter - cooled
Instructions
- Heat the butter and the oil together in a large, lidded saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium high heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the carrots, onion, celery and salt. Gently fry for 8-10 minutes until soft, and just starting to color.
- Stir in the garlic, and cook for a further 2 minutes until aromatic before adding the chicken, the thyme and the bay leaves.
- Add the flour, stirring so that the flour coats everything in the pot. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Gradually pour the chicken broth into the pan, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the heavy cream or half and half, and reduce the heat to a simmer, leaving to cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Add the heavy cream and melted butter, and bring together into a sticky yet uniform dough.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the soup and shred on a cutting board with two forks. Return to the soup and stir.
- Spoon the dumpling mixture into the soup, allowing for 2 dumplings per person. Cover, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas, and stir gently to turn over the dumplings so they cook through. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with black pepper and more soup if needed before serving.
I made this last night and it was FANTASTIC. I used half n half for the stock and whole milk for the dumplings b/c I didn’t have heavy cream and don’t use it anyway. Still plenty rich and flavorful. I’ve never had much luck making this from other recipes–the stock often comes out thin and not very flavorful, the dumplings have that paste flavor. But this worked and it only took like an hour! It’s bookmarked and will be made frequently this winter. Thanks!
Oh, that’s great to hear that it turned out so well! 🙂
Will non-dairy heavy cream or a ND half and half substitute work in the dumplings instead of dairy heavy cream?
Dairy free substitutes haven’t been tested for this recipe but another reader has said that they subbed Silk non-dairy heavy whipping cream with success so I’m Sur either dairy free options would work!
This recipe is pure perfection!
Oh you’re so sweet! Thank you so much! 🙂