Description
A comforting and hearty chicken dumpling soup featuring tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and fluffy herb-infused dumplings simmered to perfection in a creamy chicken broth.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins (or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (more to taste)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
For the Dumplings
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh herbs (chives and dill, finely chopped)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare the Soup Base: Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add olive oil and diced onions. Sauté for 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add Vegetables and Aromatics: Stir in the diced carrots and celery, cooking for another 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Season and Create Roux: Add thyme and oregano, mixing thoroughly. Stir in butter and sprinkle flour over the mixture, cooking on low heat until the roux turns golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add Chicken Stock and Cook Chicken: Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirring to avoid lumps. Add the chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked—about 10-15 minutes for tenderloins or 25 minutes for chicken breasts. Season with salt to taste.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and shred it finely using two forks.
- Add Cream and Return Chicken: Stir the heavy cream into the soup and bring it back to a boil. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Prepare Dumpling Dough: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped herbs. Stir to mix. Add buttermilk and heavy cream, folding gently until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing; it should come together even if slightly dry initially.
- Form and Add Dumplings: Using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons, drop tablespoon-sized dumplings carefully into the simmering soup one at a time.
- Cook Dumplings: Cover the pot and let the dumplings simmer for 8-10 minutes until they are puffed and cooked through.
- Final Seasoning and Serve: Taste the soup and adjust salt if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with additional chopped dill, and serve hot.
Notes
- Using chicken tenderloins reduces cooking time and keeps the chicken tender.
- Do not overmix the dumpling dough to keep the dumplings light and fluffy.
- Fresh herbs in dumplings add a bright, fresh flavor—feel free to substitute with other herbs like parsley or thyme.
- For a richer soup, you can add more heavy cream to taste.
- If you prefer, replace chicken tenderloins with bone-in chicken thighs for deeper flavor, adjusting cooking time accordingly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chicken dumpling soup, chicken soup, comfort food, dumplings, creamy soup, herb dumplings
