Chicken Soup with Dumplings (Printable Version)
Tender chicken and vegetables in a savory broth topped with fluffy dumplings for comfort.
# What You Need:
→ Soup
01 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 2.2 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
07 - 2 bay leaves
08 - 1 tsp dried thyme
09 - 1 tsp salt, or to taste
10 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
11 - 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 1 cup frozen peas
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
→ Dumplings
14 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
15 - 2 tsp baking powder
16 - ½ tsp salt
17 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
18 - ¾ cup whole milk
19 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
02 - Add chicken pieces, bay leaves, dried thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot. Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
03 - Remove chicken from the pot, shred the meat using two forks, discarding any bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
04 - Stir frozen peas and chopped parsley into the soup. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in melted butter, whole milk, and optional parsley just until combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Using a tablespoon, drop mounds of dumpling dough onto the simmering soup surface, spacing them evenly.
07 - Cover the pot tightly and simmer, without removing the lid, for 15 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
08 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with additional parsley, and serve while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Dumplings that are fluffy and tender, nothing dense or heavy about them.
- A broth so savory and warming it makes you forget about whatever's happening outside your window.
- Comes together in about an hour, but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
02 -
- Do not stir or peek at the dumplings while they're cooking—the lid needs to stay on tight so they steam properly and stay fluffy.
- If your dumplings sink to the bottom instead of floating, your broth wasn't at a proper simmer when you dropped them in; gentle heat is what makes them rise.
- Leftover soup keeps beautifully for three days in the fridge, though the dumplings will be softer the next day (still delicious, just less cloud-like).
03 -
- Keep the heat gentle and steady once the soup comes to a boil—aggressive boiling makes the chicken tough and turns the broth cloudy.
- If you're making this ahead, prepare the dumpling dough just before serving rather than mixing it early, because overworked dough sitting in the fridge becomes tough and dense.