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Chicken Dumpling Soup recipe with tender chicken, fluffy dumplings, and rich broth. Cozy, easy to make, stovetop, or in a slow cooker.
There’s nothing quite like a bowl of hearty, homemade Chicken Dumpling Soup to warm you up on a chilly day. For me, this recipe is more than just comfort food—it’s a tribute to the simple, homestyle dishes that truly nourish the soul. I wanted a version that was rich in flavor, easy to make, and filled with tender chicken and light, fluffy dumplings.
Growing up, chicken soup was always a staple in our home, but the addition of dumplings made it feel extra special. They bring back memories of family gatherings where food was the heart of our time together. So, I set out to create my own recipe—one that’s comforting, full of flavor, and perfect for those cozy nights when all you need is a warm bowl of something delicious.
Delicious By Design
- Chicken on the Bones Adds Extra Flavor: Cooking the chicken with bones infuses the broth with a deep, rich flavor that you just can’t get from boneless cuts. The bones add a hearty depth to the soup, making every spoonful more satisfying.
- A Touch of Cream for Richness: Adding a bit of cream gives the soup a smooth, velvety texture and enhances the overall flavor, making the broth more luscious without being overly heavy.
- Fresh Carrots, Celery, Onions, and Garlic Enhance Flavor: These fresh vegetables create the perfect base for the soup, adding natural sweetness and a savory depth. The garlic provides a subtle warmth that brings all the flavors together beautifully.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in thighs add more flavor to the soup.
- Carrots, celery, onion: These classic soup vegetables provide flavor and texture.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic brings depth to the soup.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness to the broth.
- Flour and baking powder: Essential for making the dumplings.
Parmesan cheese: The dumpling’s secret ingredient for flavor. You can swap this for softened butter if needed.
Ingredient Spotlight
The star of this soup is the chicken thighs. Bone-in thighs are perfect for soup because they impart a rich, savory flavor. When cooked slowly in the broth, the meat becomes tender and easy to shred. If you don’t have chicken thighs, you can use bone-in breasts, but thighs give a juicier texture and better flavor.
Buying guide: When shopping, look for fresh, bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on for extra flavor. You can remove the skin before browning, but the bones will give the broth its depth.
How To Make
You can find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post (click the button above), but you can read a summary with step-by-step instructions and photos for each step below.
Brown the chicken: Season the chicken and brown it in the pot to give the soup a deep, savory base. This step ensures flavorful, tender meat.
Sauté the vegetables: Cook onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until fragrant. This brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables and builds the flavor foundation of the soup.
Thicken the soup: Sprinkle flour over the sautéed vegetables, cooking for a few minutes to create a roux. This thickens the broth and adds body.
Add liquids and cook the chicken: Stir in the stock and cream, then return the chicken to the pot. Let it simmer until the chicken is tender.
Make the dumplings: Combine flour, Parmesan, baking powder, and milk to form the dumpling dough.
Drop spoonfuls into the simmering soup and cook them through.
Shred the chicken: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the soup, remove the meat from the bones and shred the chicken.
Return the chicken to the soup before serving.
Want to make this in the slow cooker? See the recipe card for instructions!
Make It Your Own
This soup is easily adaptable! Add your favorite herbs, like thyme or rosemary, to the broth for extra flavor. You can also mix up the vegetables by adding peas, corn, or even potatoes. If you prefer a spicier soup, toss in some red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce for heat.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the dumpling dough: Stir just until combined to keep the dumplings light and fluffy.
- Keep the lid on while dumplings cook: This traps steam, ensuring they cook through properly.
- Shred the chicken easily: Use two forks, or for a faster method, shred the chicken with a hand mixer.
- For A Thicker Soup: Mix 2 additional tablespoons of flour To the vegetables before adding the stock. Alternativly, you can also add extra dumplings.
Storage & Freezing Instructions ❄
Refrigeration: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze this soup without the dumplings. Once the soup is cool, store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When reheating, make fresh dumplings and cook them in the reheated soup.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
Soup Base:
- 1½ lb chicken thighs (bone-in)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped)
- 2 large carrots (sliced into ¼-inch rounds)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 5½ cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (plus more to taste)
Dumplings:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated (or 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, as a substitute))
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- ½ tsp table salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
Instructions
Stovetop
- Season the chicken thighs with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large dutch oven and brown the chicken on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the chopped onion, celery, carrots, and minced garlic. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the vegetables, stirring well to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. This will help thicken the soup once the stock is added.
- Pour in the chicken stock slowly, stirring as you pour, to incorporate the flour mixture smoothly. Add the cream and chopped parsley and return the chicken thighs to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let cook, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. For the dumpling fat, either add ½ cup grated Parmesan or mix in 2 tablespoons softened butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and lightly beaten egg until the dough just comes together without over-mixing.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the simmering soup and cook for a few minutes until the soup thickens slightly.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the soup, shred the meat, and discard the bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the soup. Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook for about 12 to 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the soup and dumplings into bowls, and enjoy your comforting Chicken and Dumpling Soup!
Slow Cooker
- Season the chicken thighs with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. If you prefer, brown the chicken in 2 tablespoons of oil on the stovetop for 5 to 7 minutes per side until golden (optional, but it adds flavor). Set aside.
- Place the chopped onion, celery, carrots, and minced garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock, stirring as you pour, to incorporate the flour smoothly. Add the cream, parsley, and the seasoned chicken thighs.
- Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, make the dumpling dough. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking powder. For the dumpling fat, add either ½ cup grated Parmesan or 2 tablespoons softened butter, mixing until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and lightly beaten egg until the dough just comes together.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry.
- Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, cover, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the soup thickens slightly.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker, shred the meat, and discard the bones. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the soup. Cover and cook on High for 20-30 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through and fluffy (avoid lifting the lid while they cook).
- Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the soup and dumplings into bowls, and enjoy!
Tips
- Don’t overmix the dumpling dough: Stir just until combined to keep the dumplings light and fluffy.
- Keep the lid on while dumplings cook: This traps steam, ensuring they cook through properly.
- Shred the chicken easily: Use two forks, or for a faster method, shred the chicken with a hand mixer.
- For A Thicker Soup: Mix 2 additional tablespoons of flour To the vegetables before adding the stock. Alternativly, you can also add extra dumplings.
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