This homemade chicken dumpling soup comes straight out of Mom’s cookbook. It’s that simple kind of comfort food that never goes out of style!
Chicken dumpling soup was one of my mom’s go-to, minimal effort recipes to feed her hungry pack of kids and husband. Aside from traditional kasha (buckwheat), I’d say dumplings in one shape or form were a constant on our dinner table. Let’s just say we didn’t complain. Who doesn’t like tender, fluffy dumplings after a long day? Especially when they come in the form of a perfect bowl of soup on a cold night…
This chicken soup is almost a perfect cross between traditional chicken noodle soup and Southern-style chicken and dumplings. You’ll love how simultaneously hearty and light it is. Truly the ultimate comfort food.
Note: You’ll need to whip up homemade dumplings for this chicken soup or find a store-bought version. Our Ukrainian-style dumplings recipe (aka galushki) is the most authentic to this soup. The kicker? You can make a big batch and freeze some for a rainy day.
How to Make Mom’s Chicken Dumpling Soup
Making this soup only requires a bit of legwork and a few wholesome ingredients. Below, find a quick hitter overview of the recipe before you dive in.
- Prep the Chicken: Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté the Veggies: In an oiled large soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté the diced onions with chopped carrots and cook them until they begin to soften.
- Create the Soup Base: Add the water and broth concentrate. Season to taste with salt. Next, add the diced chicken and let the soup simmer until it’s fully cooked.
- Add the Dumplings & 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 them until they are cooked through.
- Top with Green Onions & Serve: Top the soup with fresh green onions and remove it from heat. Ladle yourself a giant bowl and enjoy!
What is the difference between chicken dumpling soup and chicken and dumplings? Chicken dumpling soup features a light broth speckled with veggies, tender chicken, and fluffy dumplings. On the other hand, chicken and dumplings consist of tender chicken and dumplings baked in cream of chicken soup.
Tips & Tricks
Below, find a handful of pro tips and tricks to help you make this soup just like mom would.
- Use chicken thighs. This recipe calls for chicken thighs for a reason. Dark meat has so much flavor and brings such depth to the broth.
- Swap the water for low-sodium chicken broth. If you want to add even more flavor, swap the water for low-sodium chicken broth or equal cups of chicken stock.
- Use yellow potatoes. The flavorful, yellow flesh of golden potatoes works best with this soup. The creaminess is unparalleled!
Quick Dinner Hack: If you have leftover rotisserie chicken or shredded skinless chicken breasts, feel free to substitute them in for chicken thighs when you’re in a pinch. You can also swap homemade dumplings for quick dumplings made with canned biscuits. To do so, simply roll the refrigerated biscuit dough into balls, pop them in the soup, and cook them through.
What Goes with Chicken Dumpling Soup?
While this soup is filling enough to be eaten all on its own, it’s wonderful paired with some freshly baked bread. Baguette, honey wheat bread, and focaccia are all great options. For a more well-rounded dinner, serve it with beet garlic salad or a homemade caesar salad.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftover chicken dumpling soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep for up to a week.
- Freezer: To freeze leftover soup, first allow it to cool completely. Next, pop it into a freezer-safe back for up to 3 months. To thaw, pop the soup in the fridge overnight. Note: Always thaw this soup before reheating it, or else the dumplings will turn to mush when reheated.
Reheating Tip: 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.
FAQ
How do you make chicken and dumpling soup thicker?
To make chicken and dumpling soup thick, you can add a bit of flour or cornstarch while it’s simmering.
Is chicken and dumplings a soup or stew?
Southern-style chicken and dumplings is considered a stew.
Can you overcook dumplings in chicken and dumplings?
Yes, you can overcook the dumplings. If you leave them on a simmer too long, they will begin to break apart and disintegrate.
What goes with chicken dumpling soup?
Chicken dumpling soup does well with a side salad or a variety of fresh-baked bread.
Can I make chicken dumpling soup spicy?
Yes, you can make chicken dumpling soup spicy by adding a bit of crushed red pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce.
Other Hearty Soup Recipes
- Split Pea Soup (My Grandma’s Recipe) – Slavic split pea soup
- Easy Beef and Barley Soup Recipe – Filling beef and barley soup
- Turkey Neck Soup – Classic turkey neck soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – Hearty chicken and rice soup
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 2 small carrots chopped
- 1 tbsp oil for cooking
- 4 qts water
- 1 tbsp Chicken Better Than Bouillon
- 1 tsp ground black pepper adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups homemade dumplings
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients and chop veggies. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
- Pour the oil into a soup pot, then sauté the onion and carrots until they're lightly golden.
- Add the water, Better than Bouillon broth concentrate, and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the diced chicken and let the soup simmer until it's fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
- Add in the dumplings and simmer until they float to the top.
- Add potatoes to the soup and simmer until they are easily pierced with a fork. Add in the diced green onions, then remove the soup from heat.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Home smells beautiful from!! split pea soup! simmering on cold day! Trying this moms recipe! My grandma used half& half! near the end! So this is different but good!!
Yay! That's amazing. Love when the smell of a food fills a house with good memories. 🙂
This is a very, very good chicken-vegetable soup— sensible, flavourful, and user-friendly. It’s the kind of soup you can eat when you’re recovering from surgery, and want something gentle-but-tasty. My only problem was the halushki— I could *not* get them right, despite repeated tries. Perhaps I needed to cut them much thinner. I finally threw a batch of the potato-cheese pierogi into the soup instead— which made a wonderfully sybaritic soup.
Hi Wendy- thanks for the feedback. I agree, this soup is the epitome of comfort food! I'm sorry the halushki wouldn't turn out, was it the dough or what seemed to be the main issue? Maybe I can help troubleshoot.
I think I may not have rolled out the “snakes” skinny enough, and perhaps also sliced too thickly. The first batch stayed very dense inside. The second batch, sliced more thinly, worked out a bit better— but still too dense in center. I tried different cooking times; different heat— but I kept getting dumplings that had a tender outer layer, and an heavy, dense center. I also tried to make sure I used a light hand with the flour. I think I may need to roll those “snakes” out longer and thinner, and try slicing the halushki 1/4” thick? Or maybe I still need a lighter hand with the flour. Anyhow, I have sincere admiration for you practical approach to cooking. Full five stars— plus at least one bonus star! 🙂
Thank you for your input! So am learning how to make dumpings so many different ways! Maybe you need to try different flour? Don't give up that'sy tomorrow dish! Stay happy cooking and enjoy this adventure 😊 my certain your family will enjoy 😉
That's a good call Elaine. The kind of flour you use matters. We love using high-protein flours like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur.
Ah, I see. Hopefully next time your halushki will be absolute perfection! Thank you for the kind feedback, Wendy, it means a lot! 🙂
Great recipe! I made it today and only made a half of dumplings. Came out perfect and flavorful.
Thank you for all your hard work.
It just doesn't get any more Ukrainian than this!!!
Thank you por posting the video the other day. We all pray for Ukraine for our brothers and sisters 🙏
Never seen unhealthy Ukrainian! Their food so much flavor and healthy amazing! 😋 so excited to start these grate recipes!!!
Hi Lena, thank you for your kind words and feedback on the recipe!
Perfect time of the year for this recipe - very delicious dish!
Thanks, Melissa! We 100% agree. Once it's sweater weather, I'm making dumpling soup to curl up to. Hope you're staying warm and healthy!
One of my favorite soup recipes ever!! So delicious and comforting!
Thanks, Jennifer!! It is the perfect recipe for a comforting meal!
This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make cookies recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Hi Alyssa - That's awesome! It's straight out of my family's cookbook and such a beloved recipe around here too. Thank you for your kind words - it means alot!
I gotta try it! But I am surprised there is no finely chopped fresh dill.
Phil, so funny, I feel like my mom added dill to every soup. Now I am surprised too. Totally can be added. 🙂
Hmmmm interesting that you add zajarka before cooking the chicken and then wait to cook the chicken then dumplings and then add potatoes. Doesn't it get to mushy that way?
Either way I'm making dumpling soup right now already have my broth all cooked up just logging in to check your dumping recipe 🙂
I make it before in this case because I want for all the carrots and onion to be almost invisible but still to carry that flavor. But either way will work, I just changed things up for this recipe
This was the best dumpling soup that I've ever tried! Thanks for a great recipe again.
Omg! you have totally made my day!
Looks oh so so good....
Thank you Natalya! It's funny that we have the same name 🙂