This chicken and dumpling soup comes straight out of Mom’s cookbook. It’s filled with soft veggies, tender chicken, and homemade dumplings — that’s comfort food at its finest!

A bowl of chicken dumpling soup.

Heads up: You’ll need to whip up homemade dumplings for this chicken dumpling soup recipe or find store-bought dumplings. Our Ukrainian-style dumplings recipe (aka halushki) is the most authentic to this soup. The kicker? You can make a big batch and freeze some for a rainy day.

Ingredients for Mom's Chicken Dumpling Soup

What Is Chicken & Dumpling Soup?

Chicken and dumpling soup is a soup that features a light broth speckled with veggies, tender chicken, and fluffy dumplings. It’s both hearty and light, so it’s perfect year-round. The soup is often described as “chicken soup with dumplings”, or a mix of traditional chicken noodle soup with Southern-style chicken and dumplings. The difference is that chicken dumpling soup doesn’t have noodles and doesn’t use cream of chicken soup.

How to Make Mom’s Dumpling Soup

This soup requires only a little bit of legwork and a few wholesome ingredients. Here’s a quick hitter overview before you dive in.

  • Prep the ingredients: Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and chop the vegetables.
  • Sauté the veggies: In a large oiled soup pot or dutch oven, sauté the diced onions and carrots until they begin to soften and are lightly golden.
  • Create the soup base: Add the water and broth concentrate to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Next, add the diced chicken, stir everything together, and let the soup come to a slight boil. Let it simmer until the meat fully cooks.
  • Add the dumplings and potatoes: Once the chicken is cooked, add in the homemade dumplings and simmer them until they float to the top of the broth. Next, add the diced potatoes and simmer until they are easily pierced with a fork.
  • Top with green onions and serve: Top the soup with fresh green onions and remove it from heat. Enjoy!

Hot tip: Feel free to substitute a few ingredients to make it your own. For example, use butter instead of oil to sauté the veggies. Or, add in diced celery and minced garlic cloves for even more texture and flavor.

Tips & Tricks

Below, find a handful of pro tips and tricks to help you make this soup exactly like mom would.

  • Use chicken thighs: The best soup comes from using chicken thighs. The dark meat brings so much flavor and such depth to the broth. In a pinch, use leftover rotisserie chicken or shredded skinless chicken breasts.
  • Swap the water for low-sodium chicken broth: For even more flavor, substitute the water with low-sodium chicken broth or equal cups of chicken stock.
  • Opt for yellow potatoes: The flavorful, yellow flesh of golden yellow potatoes works best with this soup. The creaminess is unparalleled!
  • Substitute the dumplings: In case you don’t have time to make the dumplings, swap them out with quick dumplings made from canned biscuits. To do so, roll the refrigerated biscuit dough into balls, pop them in the soup, and cook them through.
  • Garnish with your favorites: Feel free to garnish the soup with your favorite garnishes including green onions, parsley, or dill.
  • Make quality dumplings: Dumplings are one of the main ingredients that make-or-break the soup, so follow this recipe to make the best homemade dumplings!
A pot with chicken dumpling soup.

What To Serve With the Soup

While this soup is filling enough to be eaten all on its own, it’s especially wonderful when paired with freshly baked bread. Slices of fresh baguette, honey wheat bread, and focaccia are all great options to dip into a bowl of this soup. For an even more decadent pairing, try our cheddar cheese biscuits. For a fuller meal, serve the soup along with beet garlic salad or homemade caesar salad.

Storage & Reheating Tips

We love making a large pot of soup to last us a few days. Good news — this soup will last for up to a week in the fridge! Follow these tips on how to best store and reheat your leftover soup for the days (or months) to come.

  • Refrigerator: To store for up to a week, place the leftover chicken dumpling soup in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Freezer: To store for up to three months, freeze cool leftover soup in a freezer safe container. To thaw, pop the soup in the fridge overnight.
  • Reheating: To reheat the soup, pop it in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through or zap it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Hot tip: Always thaw the soup before reheating it or else the dumplings will turn to mush.

FAQ

How do you make chicken and dumpling soup thicker?

To make chicken and dumpling soup thicker, take a bit of broth out and mix it with cornstarch. Once the cornstarch is fully incorporated, pour it back into the soup.

Is it possible to overcook dumplings in chicken and dumplings?

Yes, you can overcook the dumplings. If you leave them to simmer too long, they will begin to break apart and disintegrate.

Can I make chicken dumpling soup spicy?

Yes, it is possible to make chicken dumpling soup spicy. To kick up the heat, add a bit of crushed red pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to the soup. 

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About Author

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.