Chicken and Dumplings
This creamy, satisfying soup features roasted chicken, savory vegetables, and a crown of fluffy dumplings. Made in one pot and ready in about 30 minutes, this easy, nourishing meal will surely become a part of your regular dinner rotation.
If you think chicken and dumplings is a complicated (or heavy) dish, think again. First, this recipe is a one-pot-meal – all the soup ingredients are simmered together, which allows flavors to mingle, evolve, and elevate while tender, drop-style dumplings steam on top. After everything is served and devoured, you’ll have just one pan to clean. Next, although this soup is hearty and substantial, it’s not overly gluttonous. Yes, we use butter to sauté the vegetables and make the dumplings, and there’s a small amount of cream added to the broth, but a little butter and cream go a long way in adding richness and a creamy mouthfeel.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
What’s the difference between noodle dumplings and drop dumplings? This recipe features drop dumplings, biscuit-like dough that’s shaped into mounds and dropped onto simmering soup. The pot is covered with a lid and the dumplings steam and inflate while absorbing the richness of the soup they’re floating on. Noodle dumplings are typically flat strips of dough that are cooked in the soup, rather than on top of it (and they contain no leavening, so they don’t puff up during cooking).
A few notes about the ingredients, cookware, and technique.
Making chicken and dumplings isn’t complicated, and this recipe is virtually foolproof. That said, I have a few tips to guarantee success.
- Use rotisserie chicken. I highly recommend rotisserie chicken for this recipe, and one bird yields the perfect amount of meat. Rotisserie chickens are seasoned, brined, and flawlessly roasted, so the meat is always moist and flavorful (and stays moist in this soup). If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken, use any cooked chicken, including leftover chicken, or chicken that’s been pan-fried, boiled, or baked. Pro tip: Chicken thighs are decidedly more moist than chicken breasts, so I would use those for this soup if you’re not using rotisserie chicken.
- Add some bouillon. To add depth to the broth, I strongly suggest adding chicken bouillon. I used Better than Bouillon, a chicken bouillon paste that’s less salty and more flavorful than bouillon cubes. That said, you can certainly use chicken bouillon cubes.
- I prefer heavy cream, but you can use milk or half & half. I adore the richness heavy cream brings to this soup, and it doesn’t curdle when simmered (lower fat dairy products often separate when heated). If you decide to use milk or half & half, make sure you keep the soup at a gentle simmer to prevent curdling.
- Choose a wide pot. You want to give the dumplings room to expand, so choose a pot with plenty of surface area. The dumplings should be dropped in a single layer, and a narrow/tall pot will crowd the dough (stacked dumplings won’t cook properly).
- Don’t overmix your dumpling dough. When making the dumplings, mix the ingredients until just blended, being care not to overmix. Overmixed dough produces dense dumplings, not light, fluffy ones.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop your dumplings if possible. For uniform dumplings, I suggest using a medium cookie scoop, which holds about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use a large spoon.
- Remove the bay leaves while serving. Bay leaves add tremendous flavor to this soup, contributing herbal nuances similar to thyme and oregano. But bay leaves don’t soften as they cook, so they should be removed. Problem is, the soup is covered with dumplings, so it’s nearly impossible to fish them out! Look for the bay leaves as you ladle the soup into bowls and then discard them.
Can you make chicken and dumplings in advance? The soup yes, the dumplings no. I suggest preparing the soup as instructed and stop before preparing and adding the dumplings. Allow the soup to cool, and then refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the soup over medium-low heat. Once the soup is simmering, prepare the dumplings and finish the dish as directed.
How to store your leftover chicken and dumplings. Store leftover chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the cooktop, adding more liquid as needed to loosen up the broth.
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste, such as Better than Bouillon, or 4 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, preferably rotisserie chicken meat
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, kept frozen until ready to use
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving
For the Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- To make the stew, heat the oil and butter together in a large saucepan or stock pot (a pan with a lid) over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the broth, bouillon, thyme, sage, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the chicken, cream, and peas and reduce the heat to low. Let the mixture simmer while you make the dumplings.
- To make the dumplings, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk and melted butter and stir gently to combine, being careful not to overmix.
- If the soup isn’t simmering, increase the heat slightly so you have a gentle simmer; you don’t want boiling liquid, just a nice simmer.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons) or large spoon, drop the dumpling dough on top of the simmering liquid, in single layer.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. If the dumplings are still doughy, cover and continue cooking until finished.
- Top with parsley and serve immediately.
- Note: Remove and discard the bays leaves while serving.