Is chicken and dumplings a soup or a stew?

It can be either. It comes down to how much liquid you use, the type of dumplings, and whether you thicken it. This version lands in the middle: a creamy, loaded soup you can eat with a spoon, thick enough to feel like a hearty meal.

How do I make chicken and dumpling soup creamier?

The dumplings release starch as they steam, which makes the broth naturally rich and creamy with no added cream or milk at all. For an extra luscious bowl, stir a 1/4 cup of heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk into the broth just before adding the dumplings, and keep it at a gentle simmer so it doesn't separate.

What vegetables go in chicken and dumpling soup?

I use onion, carrot, and celery (mirepoix) plus fresh parsley and chives for added herbaceous flavor. The classic Southern version keeps vegetables to a minimum (usually only onions or celery), so feel free to scale them back if you want it more pared down.

What is the difference between drop dumplings and rolled dumplings?

Drop dumplings, used in this recipe, are stirred together to make a thick batter that's scooped into the soup, where they steam up light and fluffy. Rolled dumplings often contain egg and are rolled out as you would a pie crust, they're cut to the desired size and shape, and slipped into the broth, giving you a denser, chewier, more stew-like result.

Can I use cream of chicken soup?

You can, but you do not need to. This soup gets its creamy body from the dumplings and a homemade broth rather than canned condensed soup, which keeps the flavor fresh and lets you control the salt/sodium.

Can you overcook dumplings?

Yes. Dumplings need about 15 minutes of gentle steaming to cook through and stay fluffy. Boiling them hard or cooking them too long can make them dense or cause them to fall apart, so keep the soup at a low simmer with the lid on while cooking.

What herbs are best in chicken and dumplings?

Sage and poultry seasoning are my favorites for the soup, with thyme or rosemary as easy swaps. For the dumplings, fresh chives are the star, though parsley works too if you're a fan. A tiny bit of nutmeg in the dumpling batter is also a lovely touch but not necessary.

Can I use store-bought chicken broth?

Absolutely. Store-bought broth is a great time-saver, and plain water works too since the chicken makes its own broth as it simmers.

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup with Herbs (+Video)

Name: Chicken Dumpling Soup with Herbed Dumplings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 pounds whole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces (1.5kg); 2 quarts of homemade chicken broth, or enough to cover the chicken (substitute water or store-bought broth); 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (14g); 1 onion (7 ounces), diced (200g); 1 carrot (3 3/4 ounces), diced (100g); 1 rib of celery, diced (50g); 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage; 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or other favorite dried herbs like thyme or rosemary (optional but recommended); salt and black pepper, to taste; 1 small dried bay leaf (optional); chopped fresh parsley, to taste (optional but recommended); 2 cups all-purpose flour (sub 00 flour, cake flour, or whole wheat flour) (240g); 1 tablespoon baking powder (15g); 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (6g); 1 cup whole milk, heated until warm (245g) *You may need up to 1/3 cup more milk depending on the flour type you use. See note below.; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (45g); 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped chives, or more or less to taste (14g) (sub parsley or omit herbs altogether); freshly ground black pepper, to taste; freshly grated nutmeg to taste (about 8 quick bursts on a Microplane) (optional)

Description

This homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup is perfectly creamy, loaded with tender chicken and vegetables (onion, carrot, celery), and topped with feather-light Southern drop dumplings made 100% from scratch. It is my elevated take on the classic my Mom made when we were growing up, with a few tasty upgrades.

Ingredients

Units

FOR CHICKEN SOUP BASE

3 pounds whole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces (1.5kg)
2 quarts of homemade chicken broth, or enough to cover the chicken (substitute water or store-bought broth)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (14g)
1 onion (7 ounces), diced (200g)
1 carrot (3 3/4 ounces), diced (100g)
1 rib of celery, diced (50g)
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or other favorite dried herbs like thyme or rosemary (optional but recommended)
salt and black pepper, to taste
1 small dried bay leaf (optional)
chopped fresh parsley, to taste (optional but recommended)

FOR THE DUMPLINGS

2 cups all-purpose flour (sub 00 flour, cake flour, or whole wheat flour) (240g)
1 tablespoon baking powder (15g)
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (6g)
1 cup whole milk, heated until warm (245g) *You may need up to 1/3 cup more milk depending on the flour type you use. See note below.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (45g)
3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped chives, or more or less to taste (14g) (sub parsley or omit herbs altogether)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly grated nutmeg to taste (about 8 quick bursts on a Microplane) (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Make the chicken soup base. Over medium-high heat, drizzle the olive oil into a large soup pot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and salt to taste, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender and the onion is translucent. Add the whole chicken along with the sage and poultry seasoning, then pour in enough broth or water to cover the chicken completely (about 8 1/2 cups total). Season with salt and a little black pepper. Bring up to a steady simmer (do not boil), cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, just until the chicken is cooked through and tender. If using a bay leaf, add it in the last few minutes so it does not overpower the soup.
Debone the chicken. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool slightly, keeping the soup at a low simmer with the lid slightly ajar to concentrate the broth. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin, debone, and shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Make the herbed dumplings. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a small pot, add the milk, and heat over medium until hot but not boiling. Turn off the heat, stir in the chives, then pour the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until combined. Don't overmix, or the dumplings will turn out dense and chewy instead of light and fluffy.
Add the chicken and steam the dumplings. Stir the chopped chicken back into the pot. Using a portioning scoop or two large spoons, drop the dumpling dough right into the gently simmering soup until the top is covered. Cover with a lid and steam on a low simmer for 15 minutes, until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through. Stir in fresh parsley, serve hot, and enjoy.

Notes

Dumpling size. Make the dumplings as large or as small as you like. Just be sure to give larger dumplings (like the ones I made for this post) at least 15 minutes to fully steam, or even larger dumplings up to 20 minutes.
Make ahead. Prepare the chicken soup portion of the recipe and refrigerate or freeze it. Freeze the chicken separately and add it to the soup just before you steam the dumplings, which keeps it from overcooking. When you are ready to eat, reheat the soup, stir in the chicken, make the dumpling dough, and steam for 15 minutes.
Leftovers. I usually make a fresh batch of dumplings for the leftover soup base the next day. How much you have left depends on how many dumplings everyone eats and how much soup is left over. If you have enough soup base, make extra dumplings; it will be slightly thicker and just as delicious.
Homemade broth. To make a quick homemade chicken broth using the same chicken, see the main post for the instructions.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: Soups + Stews
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Southern

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
Calories: 411
Sugar: 3.3g
Sodium: 558mg
Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Unsaturated Fat: 1og
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 1.5g
Protein: 37g
Cholesterol: 116mg