Name: Comforting Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 small yellow onion (diced); 2 large carrots (diced); 2 celery stalks (diced); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 2 teaspoons dried parsley; 2 teaspoons dried basil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 4 cups chicken broth ((907 grams)); 2 bay leaves; 2 cups cooked chicken (cubed, see note (300 grams)); 1 cup heavy cream ((227 grams)); 1 cup all purpose flour ((120 grams)); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1/2 cup skim milk ((113.5 grams))

Chicken and Dumplings is such a perfect comforting meal. This will become a treasured recipe that you come back to over and over.

small white bowl full of chicken and dumplings garnished with fresh parsley

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This amazing homemade Chicken and Dumplings is not only easy to make, but it is the perfect amount creamy with the best flavor. This soup screams comfort food and is the perfect recipe for fall and winter.

Reader Review

This was my first time making chicken and dumplings. A huge hit in my family!! So delicious!!

How To Make Chicken and Dumplings

Here is a brief overview of how this chicken and dumpling soup recipe comes together. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe, including all ingredients and their measurements.

Sauté the vegetables. Cook the carrots, celery, and garlic in butter until tender.
Create a roux. Whisk in the flour and then slowly add the chicken broth. Add in seasonings, and simmer.
Make the biscuit dough. While it is simmering, make the batter for dumplings. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt, then cut in the cold butter. Gently mix in milk until you don’t see any more streaks of flour. Drop the dumpling batter by the spoonful into the simmering broth.
Put it all together. After the dumplings have cooked through, stir in chicken and heavy cream. Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!

overhead view of a teal stockpot full of chicken and dumplings recipe, with crackers on the counter and fresh parsley on the cup

Tips and Tricks

Making the roux: Go slowly when you add the chicken broth. That being said, the whole process will only take about a minute.
If you don’t have a pastry cutter: You can cut the cold butter into the batter with a fork.
Use cold butter. Cold butter is needed to press into the flour mixture. Pull it right out of the fridge when making the biscuit batter.
What milk to use: I use skim milk to make my dumplings, but you can use whatever milk you have on hand.
The batter will be really sticky. Which is fine! You aren’t forming biscuits, you are dropping the batter into simmering soup.
Make it in the slow cooker. I have a delicious recipe for Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings if you want to come home to a hot and ready meal.

Using Cooked Chicken

This creamy chicken soup with dumplings calls for cooked chicken, which makes it a quicker recipe. Here are a few suggestions:

Frozen Shredded Chicken: I love buying rotisserie chicken and freezing it. For details on how to do that, check out my Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas.
Shredded Rotisserie Chicken: Grab a cooked chicken at the grocery store to make this recipe super simple.
Instant Pot Chicken: Cook chicken in your Instant Pot for easy prep.
Boil Chicken Breasts: Place the chicken in enough water to cover it and simmer it for 4 to 10 minutes. Make sure it registers 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer.

teal dutch oven full of easy chicken and dumplings garnished with fresh parsley

Storing Leftovers and Freezing

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, stirring occasionally.

This would not be my first choice of soups to freeze. That being said, it can be done. Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Make sure you allow for the soup to expand. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight. Heat on the stove over low heat.

white bowl full of homemade chicken and dumplings garnished with parsley

What to Serve with Chicken and Dumplings

A fresh salad like my Arugula Salad Recipe would be a great side.
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli or Air Fryer Green Beans
A cozy dessert like Easy Apple Crisp rounds out the comforting meal.

If you make this homemade chicken dumpling soup recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think!

5 from 26 votes

Comforting Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Serves:

(tap # to scale)

Prep: 10

Cook: 30

Total: 40

Chicken and Dumplings is such a perfect comforting meal. This will become a treasured recipe that you come back to over and over.

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Ingredients

For Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion diced
2 large carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth (907 grams)
2 bay leaves
2 cups cooked chicken cubed, see note (300 grams)
1 cup heavy cream (227 grams)

For Dumplings

1 cup all purpose flour (120 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup skim milk (113.5 grams)

Instructions

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with parsley, basil, salt, and pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
1 small yellow onion, 2 large carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Whisk in the flour until fully combined. Slowly add the chicken broth. I like to whisk in about 2 tablespoons at a time to start, whisking it into the butter and flour mixture until fully combined before adding more. You can add it more quickly at the end. This process should take about a minute.
2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 4 cups chicken broth
Add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. You should see bubbles that are about the size of peas.
2 bay leaves
While the soup is cooking, make the dumpling batter. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
1 cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in cold butter.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Gently mix in milk until just combined and there are no more streaks of flour.
1/2 cup skim milk
Make sure you still see your soup bubbling before gently dropping about a tablespoon of the dough at a time into the soup. Boil until just cooked through over medium heat, about 4 minutes uncovered.
Finally, gently stir in the cooked chicken and heavy cream, stirring to combine and cooking for about 1 minute more until combined. Remove bay leaves and serve.
2 cups cooked chicken, 1 cup heavy cream

Recipe Video

Notes

I like to keep frozen cooked chicken in my freezer for recipes like this. Alternatively, you could use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. For quick cooking of chicken, use the stove top. Place the chicken in enough water to cover it and simmer it for 4 to 10 minutes. Make sure it registers 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer.

Nutrition Information

Author: Lisa Longley

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American