Chicken & Dumplings Soup

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Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or homemade)
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half (optional for creaminess)

For the dumplings:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • ½ cup milk (more if needed)
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Sauté vegetables
    • In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat.
    • Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened (about 5 minutes).
    • Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  2. Add broth & seasonings
    • Pour in chicken broth, then add shredded chicken, thyme, poultry seasoning, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
    • Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Make dumpling dough
    • In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
    • Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    • Stir in milk and parsley just until combined (do not overmix).
  4. Cook dumplings
    • Increase heat to medium-high to bring the soup to a gentle boil.
    • Drop spoonfuls of dough (about 1 tablespoon each) directly onto the soup.
    • Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, so the dumplings cook through.
  5. Finish soup
    • Remove the bay leaf.
    • Stir in heavy cream if desired for richness.
    • Taste and adjust seasoning.
  6. Serve
    • Ladle soup into bowls, making sure each serving has a few fluffy dumplings.
    • Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

If you want, I can also make you a quick 30-minute version that uses biscuits for dumplings instead of making them from scratch. That’s a lifesaver on busy days. Would you like me to add that too?

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