Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Chicken and Dumpling Soup is a modern take on the classic, with mini dumplings simmered together with tender chicken and vegetables in a flavorful broth! This Chicken Dumpling Soup is lighter than traditional chicken and dumplings with the same level of comfort!
Chicken Dumpling Soup
We’re having another Kitchen Conversation with Land O’Lakes! This time, the topic is Modernizing Vintage Recipes. We all have those family favorites that, let’s be honest, need a little refresh for our current dinner table. I came up with a vintage recipe that needs some updating to match our newly updated kitchen!
When we moved to North Carolina from the Midwest, one of the first things I noticed was the differences in cooking techniques.
In the South, cornbread is cooked in a skillet with bacon grease, unlike the tall, pillowy cornbread I was used to.
Grits are the breakfast side of choice, not home fries or cream of wheat.
And dumplings were noodles. Say what?!?
Chicken and Dumpling Soup Memories
Growing up, every chicken and dumplings recipe I ever ate had dumplings that were dropped from a spoon. Dumplings were dumped, not cut into noodles.
These morsels of dough simmered in the gravy until puffed into little balls of carby deliciousness. The irregular shapes and moist centers were part of the appeal.
Yet here in the South, friends tell stories of standing on a wooden stool while Great-Granny presses the dough out on the countertop. Then she let her grandbabies take turns cutting it into short, fat noodles with a pizza cutter.
Whether you prefer the dropped dumplings or noodle dumplings, one thing is for certain: A good chicken and dumplings recipe equals a hefty serving of nostalgia and a whole lot of love.
However… the last time I ate classic chicken and dumplings, I felt like I had a brick in my belly. I’m just not accustomed to eating such heavy dishes any more.
It made me think this vintage recipe was ready for a little “modernizing.”
So today I’ve made an updated version of my favorite chicken and dumplings recipe, Chicken and Dumpling Soup!
I ditched the heavy cream gravy and hulky dumplings for a thin, savory broth with mini parmesan-herb dumplings.
The fact that the chicken and dumplings aren’t drowning in gravy really allows the fresh, herbal flavors to shine. Also, this easy Chicken-n-Dumpling Soup takes much less time to cook because it uses chicken breasts instead of whole chicken.
I added a third of the butter I would normally use in my traditional chicken and dumplings recipe. Land O Lakes® Butter in Half Sticks made it easy to pull just the right amount out of the fridge. Using Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt created a rich, satisfying undertone.
Really, who needs gravy?
Modernizing is a good thing. Even when it comes to our most beloved dishes.
I honestly believe Grandma would approve.
Ingredients for Chicken and Dumplings Soup
This chicken soup with dumplings may look like it has a long ingredient list, but don’t get intimidated! It is super easy to make with some simple, pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Chicken Soup:
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 celery stalks thinly sliced
- 4 carrots thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt 1 half stick
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric for color
- 1 bay leaf
- 64 ounces low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Pepper to taste
Chicken Soup Dumplings:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 3/4 cup whole milk
How to Make Chicken Dumpling Soup
Instructions…
In a large sauce pot, melt the Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook for 8–10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the mustard, turmeric, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Then cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the ingredients for the dumplings in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork until a wet doughy consistency is reached.
Once the soup base has cooked down for 15 minutes, bring the temperature back up to a boil. Stir in the chicken and parsley. Then use a spoon to drop scant 1/2-teaspoon lumps of dough into the soup. Simmer 5 minutes, until the chicken and dumplings are cooked through. Remove the bay leaf and serve warm.
See The Full (Printable) Recipe Card Below For This Chicken Dumpling Soup Recipe. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
A dumpling is a type of biscuit dough that is broken into small pieces and cooked through a steaming process like hot soup!
Store any leftover chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through!
Check the printable recipe card below for the prep time, cook time, total time, and nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber percentages.
Chicken and Dumplings Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 celery stalks thinly sliced
- 4 carrots thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt 1 half stick
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric for color
- 1 bay leaf
- 64 ounces low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Pepper to taste
Dumplings:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 3/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
- In a large sauce pot, melt the Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook for 8–10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add the mustard, turmeric, bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Then cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the ingredients for the dumplings in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork until a wet doughy consistency is reached.
- Once the soup base has cooked down for 15 minutes, bring the temperature back up to a boil. Stir in the chicken and parsley. Then use a spoon to drop scant 1/2-teaspoon lumps of dough into the soup. Simmer 5 minutes, until the chicken and dumplings are cooked through. Remove the bay leaf and serve warm.
Video
Nutrition
Disclosure: A Spicy Perspective has partnered with Land O’Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes® Butter for their Kitchen Conversation blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.
I added cajun seasoning. Now its perfect!!
I made this last night…cooked the raw chicken pieces with the sauteed veggies and turned out good! Love the herbs in the dumplings!
I’ve made this soup twice, exactly as recipe stated, extremely delicious! Thanks!
This is a staple recipe for me now that I’m trying to eat healthier but I did make some modifications. For the dumplings instead of 1 tbsp of thyme I add a 1/2 tbsp of thyme and a 1/2 tbsp of basil, even if you don’t like basil i would seriously consider lessening the amount of thyme as it is very over powering in my opinion. For the broth I use one 32oz carton of low sodium chicken stock and one regular 32oz carton of chicken stock, I also add pepper and seasoned salt to the broth.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. This soup is so savory and delicious. Hits the spot on a chilly evening.
This soup is amazing! I had to add a little more flour to the dumpling batter because it was a little thin. I have never used thyme, rosemary or Parmesan in dumpling batter and was a little nervous, but my husband said they are the best dumplings he has had. I agree.
My family and I LOVE this soup; we like it because it has the broth and not the heavy gravy. This is one of my regular soups that I make in our soup rotation. I add in some of the chicken flavored Better Than Bullion, it adds a little more chicken flavor and makes it even more delicious.
So im a pescatarian and my husband isn’t, so instead of chicken I used vegetarian sausage! And I also added chopped leeks and chopped potatoes! It came out great, just need to add water because it came out a bit salty! But it was so easy and came out sososo good, my husband said he felt like it was hoemcooking from Tennessee hahahaa, like his mama made it. 🤗🤭🥰
Love this! its super easy to make, and im only 14. it tastes amazing too
I highly recommend this made it for my family they all loved it
Great recipe, lots of flavour. I precooked the chicken and added a little bit of noodles to make it chicken noodle soup with dumplings and it turned out with a lot of flavour. The family loved it, said it’s a recipe I should definitely make again
Excellent recipes, I sadly didn’t have all the ingredients but it still turned out great.
Excellent ! I used rotisserie chicken and 2% milk. My very first time making dumplings…
Lorna, this meal is grea but its very thick
Amazing this was absolutely beautiful, even the kids have it a huge thumbs up so that’s saying something just lovely. Thank you x
I only ever have 1% milk (not whole). What will this do to the dumplings? Do I need to add a bit more butter, will that even it out?
Hi Susan,
It should be fine to use 1% milk, no extra butter needed. :)
This looks delicious! Could I make it in the crockpot?
Hi Tina,
In theory, yes. You would want to slow cook the chicken soup base for several hours, until it comes to a good bubbling simmer. Then add the dumplings just 30 minutes before serving. I would not leave the dumplings on the slow cooker all day. Hope this helps!
This was really good! I was looking for something similar to how my mom used to make it, the dumplings are different than what she used to make but still just as delicious. (If I remember right hers were just flour milk and egg 🤔) I added some angel hair pasta in the last few minutes because I’m used to it being there (I added before the chicken and dumplings went in and it turned out great) really brought back some great memories of her so ty for that.
Will the dumplings freeze and defrost without turning into a roux?
Hi Ann,
If they are well cooked, they will freeze and thaw properly. Just be sure to let it thaw at room temperature before reheating.