Description
Hearty chicken & dumplings soup wraps comfort in a bowl, blending tender chicken and pillowy dumplings into a soul-warming Southern classic. Rich broth and herb-infused dough invite you to savor each spoonful of homestyle goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 cups (300 g / 10.5 oz) cooked shredded chicken
Vegetables:
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Soup Base and Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (40 g / 1.4 oz) all-purpose flour
- 6 cups (1.5 liters / 48 fl oz) chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) heavy cream or whole milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Dumplings:
- 1 cup (125 g / 4.4 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Garnish:
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Warm olive oil or butter in a spacious pot, creating a flavorful foundation for the soup. Gently sauté diced onion, carrots, and celery until they soften and release their aromatic essence.
- Introduce minced garlic to the vegetable medley, allowing its pungent notes to permeate the mixture for a brief moment.
- Stream chicken broth into the pot, bringing the ingredients to a gentle simmer. Let the liquid meld and develop depth for approximately 10 minutes.
- Prepare the dumpling mixture by combining flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Create a smooth integration of dry ingredients.
- Pour milk and melted butter into the flour mixture, stirring until a thick, cohesive dough forms. Incorporate fresh parsley for an additional layer of herbaceous flavor.
- Fold shredded cooked chicken into the simmering soup, introducing additional seasonings like thyme, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Adjust the flavor profile to personal preference.
- Carefully drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough into the bubbling liquid, ensuring ample spacing for even cooking and expansion.
- Cover the pot and allow dumplings to steam and rise for approximately 15 minutes, transforming into pillowy, fully cooked morsels.
- Delicately stir the soup, ensuring dumplings are distributed evenly. Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with additional fresh parsley for a vibrant finishing touch.
Notes
- Substitute gluten-free flour for a celiac-friendly version, ensuring the dumplings remain light and fluffy without compromising texture.
- Consider using bone broth instead of regular chicken broth to boost nutritional content and add deeper, richer flavor to the soup base.
- Experiment with adding herbs like rosemary or sage to transform the traditional recipe and create unique flavor profiles that complement the classic chicken and dumplings.
- Save time by using rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chicken strips for a quick weeknight meal without sacrificing taste or comfort food satisfaction.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg