Creamy chicken and vegetable soup topped with light homemade herb dumplings — the perfect comfort food.
Making a pot of creamy chicken with fluffy herb dumplings is easier than you might think. This is one of my favorite winter dishes: warm, filling, and full of homey flavor. Tender chicken and vegetables swim in a rich broth while pillowy dumplings steam to perfection on top.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings?
This recipe is straightforward and forgiving. A few simple tips will help you get a deeply flavored broth and light, tender dumplings every time.
Great soups start with a great base
Use a whole chicken or bone-in pieces with the skin on for the best stock — the skin adds body and flavor. Place the chicken in a large pot with 8 cups of water and one chicken bouillon cube if you like extra depth.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce to medium. Simmer about 1 hour, until the bones pull away from the meat easily.
Deboning the chicken
Remove the chicken and reserve the broth. Pull the meat from the bones and discard bones and skin. Return the meat to the broth.
Instructions for the soup
Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 3/4 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped carrots and 1 cup frozen peas (optional). Season with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes.
Note: Peas are optional. If you don’t like them, simply omit.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the stock has reduced by about an inch. Keep enough liquid in the pot for the dumplings — add 1–2 cups of water if it has reduced too far.
How to make the dumplings
Dumplings are simple and quick. Mix, cut in the fat, add milk, and drop by spoonfuls into the boiling broth. A few tool suggestions make the job easier:
- Pastry blender (or two knives)
- Medium glass or plastic mixing bowl
Note: I avoid aluminum bowls for mixing to prevent any metallic taste.
Dumpling instructions
In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley, 1/8 teaspoon ground sage, 1/4 teaspoon thyme and a dash of garlic powder. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs (pea-size).
Stir in 1 cup milk gently until a sticky dough forms. Do not overmix — a sticky, minimal-handling dough produces the lightest dumplings.
Adding dumplings to the soup
Bring the broth back to a boil. If the pot needs more liquid, add 1 cup of water. Drop dumpling dough by heaping tablespoonfuls into the boiling broth, working around the edge and then filling the center.
Cooking the dumplings
The dumplings will sink and then rise as they cook. Cover the pot, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and set a timer for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid — the steam cooks the dumplings and helps them rise into light, fluffy pillows.
The flour in the dumplings will also help thicken the broth into a creamy, rich soup while the dumplings absorb flavor from the stock and herbs.
Serving suggestions
After 20 minutes remove the lid. Dumplings should be puffed and tender. They won’t be browned like biscuits; they’ll have a slightly doughy exterior from the broth and a soft, cooked interior. If the broth needs a touch more thickness, cover and simmer an extra 5–10 minutes, but avoid overcooking the dumplings.
Sprinkle dried parsley over the top and serve in wide bowls. Spoon a dumpling into the bowl, ladle the creamy chicken and vegetable soup around and over it, and enjoy a comforting spoonful of dumpling plus rich broth.
This dish warms the kitchen and the heart — perfect for chilly evenings and family meals.
Favorite comfort dishes
- Easy Crispy Fried Chicken
- Crock Pot Meatballs with Sauce
- Chicken Rice Casserole
- World’s Best Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
Thanks for reading — I hope this recipe brings warmth and comfort to your table. Happy nesting!
Creamy Chicken and Herb Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 whole raw chicken (2–3 lbs) or 2 legs + 3 thighs, skin on
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
- Dash garlic powder
Instructions
- Place the whole chicken or pieces in a large pot with 8 cups water and the bouillon cube. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour until bones pull away easily.
- Remove the chicken, reserve the broth, and remove meat from bones and skin. Return the meat to the pot with the broth.
- Add onion, celery, carrots, peas (if using), parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and the broth has reduced by about an inch.
- While the vegetables simmer, make the dumpling dough. In a bowl whisk flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, parsley, sage, thyme and garlic powder. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until coarse, pea-size crumbs form.
- Stir in 1 cup milk gently until a sticky dough forms that pulls slightly away from the sides of the bowl.
- Bring the broth back to a boil. Add 1 cup water if needed so there’s enough liquid for the dumplings. Drop the dumpling dough by heaping tablespoonfuls into the boiling broth, working around the edges and filling the center.
- Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid. The steam will cook the dumplings and thicken the broth.
- After 20 minutes remove the lid. Dumplings should be puffed and tender and the broth creamy. If the broth needs a little more thickness, simmer an additional 5–10 minutes, but avoid overcooking the dumplings.