Go Back
Best Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Best Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Comforting Chicken and Dumplings Soup recipe with fluffy dumplings, tender chicken
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 5 bowls
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion — chopped crying while chopping is optional… but relatable
  • 2 carrots — sliced
  • 2 celery sticks — chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves — minced and slightly dramatic
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 bay leaf — if you want to feel fancy
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • about 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken rotisserie saves lives… trust me
  • salt + pepper — taste first season after
  • a small splash of milk or cream ¼ cup or so… cozy upgrade
  • Not strict. Not judged. Cook with feeling.
For the Dumplings (the fluffy clouds)
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter — softened slightly imperfect
  • ¾ cup milk

Equipment

  • one big heavy pot or Dutch oven (the reliable one)
  • a cutting board with little knife marks all over it
  • a sharp-ish knife (we sharpen when life allows)
  • a wooden spoon — or the spoon that survived the dishwasher battles
  • a mixing bowl (for dumplings)
  • Measuring cups/spoons
  • A ladle
  • A whisk
  • paper towels or kitchen cloth
  • a tiny playlist

Method
 

Step 1 — The Cozy Base (a.k.a. “everything starts from here”)
  1. Add butter + olive oil into the pot.
  2. You’ll hear a tiny hiss. Like the kitchen is waking up.
  3. Toss in:
  4. onion
  5. carrot
  6. celery
  7. Stir. Walk away. Come back. Stir again.
  8. No rush.
  9. The vegetables soften… smell warms up… and suddenly it feels like you’re in a kitchen scene from a nostalgic movie.
  10. Add the garlic — but don’t burn it (been there… painful memory).
  11. Sprinkle thyme + parsley.
  12. Pause.
  13. Take a breath.
  14. Smells like comfort trying to say hello.
Step 2 — Bring the Broth to Life
  1. Pour in:
  2. chicken broth
  3. water
  4. Drop the bay leaf.
  5. Let it simmer gently — like it has time… like we have time.
  6. Add shredded chicken.
  7. Taste. Then — and only then — add salt + pepper. Don’t chase perfection… chase warmth.
  8. If you like creaminess, pour in a small splash of milk or cream. Not too much. Just enough to make the broth feel like a blanket.
  9. Trust me… tiny difference… big comfort.
Step 3 — Dumpling Time (the magic moment)
  1. In a bowl:
  2. add flour
  3. baking powder
  4. salt
  5. Mix casually — no need to be delicate.
  6. Add butter. Then milk.
  7. It’ll look rough. Slightly messy.
  8. Perfect.
  9. Scoop small spoonfuls and drop them into the simmering soup — gently… like placing clouds on water.
  10. Do not stir aggressively.
  11. Let them puff. Let them find themselves.
  12. Cover the pot.
  13. Walk away for 12–15 minutes.
  14. You will peek early.
  15. We all do.
  16. And when you come back…
  17. The dumplings are soft. Plump. Floating like they belong here.
  18. Soup gets fuller. My heart gets lighter.
  19. Yeah… that moment.
The First Bite — And That Quiet Smile
  1. You take a spoonful.
  2. The dumpling melts softly.
  3. Chicken feels tender.
  4. Broth says “hey… it’s okay, relax.”
  5. And you just… pause for a second.
  6. Trust me — you’ll know exactly what I mean.