Easy Chicken and Dumpling Soup recipe is slow cooked flavor in a creamy soup that takes only 45 minutes! This is a great recipe, the ultimate comfort food!
This simple stew is filled with chunks of tender chicken and biscuits that do double-duty as dumplings. It's packed full of your favorite vegetables too!
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What makes this recipe irresistible
My Grandma Corliss was quite the cook. Grandma did more with less and served up comfort food to a big family without a lot of dollars.
When I think of Grandma a couple of meals come right to mind - Mac 'n Cheese, Goulash, and, of course, Chicken and Dumpling Casserole. These are meals that stretch a buck and feed a crowd.
Chicken and Dumpling Soup is a meal Grandma made often. Unlike her recipe though, this one takes minutes instead of hours. It's simple and delicious - I think you'll love this recipe!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the exact measurements for this homemade chicken and dumpling soup recipe, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- rotisserie chicken - or any leftover cooked chicken will work well for this recipe. I prefer boneless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- carrots, celery and onions - classic chicken soup flavors.
- fresh thyme, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes - for seasoning.
- chicken stock and refrigerator bake 'n serve biscuits - all the flavor in half the time!
- flour, butter and olive oil - help flavor and thicken the stew.
Using refrigerator biscuits instead of making drop dumplings makes for another great shortcut!! Since we won't be using all of the biscuits, you can bake the rest of the rolls in oven and serve them with your meal!
This doubles the aroma of home cooked goodness because now you're going to have fresh rolls too! Swooning!!!
Dinner is done, doesn't that sound amazing?
Creative variations to try
Rather than cooking a whole chicken all day (not that there's anything wrong with that!), we're using rotisserie chicken. If you'd prefer, cook a whole chicken, chicken breast or chicken thighs and shred before adding the chicken to the soup.
Adding a half cup of frozen green peas at the end with a couple tablespoons of minced parsley is an excellent addition to the soup.
Step-by-step instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Start by dicing the onion, celery and carrots.
- Melt butter, add olive oil. Add the spices and sauté with the vegetables, add the chicken, then add flour.
- Cook the flour for a minute or two.
- Add stock slowly and stir. The mixture will thicken nicely.
- Finally, add the dumplings.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Place the lid on the pot of soup and simmer for about 15 minutes.
When time is up stir everything together and serve!
Start to finish only about 45 minutes! Rather than taking three to four hours. This is easy enough for a weeknight meal too!
Chicken and Dumpling Soup is a comforting meal that fills your home with an enticing aroma. But what if you don't have all day long? Then let's take a shortcut or two - you won't lose the flavor and your family will still be lined up begging for more!
Equipment
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- This cutting board is perfect for chopping all of your vegetables!
- This knife is my favorite for slicing and dicing! I've had mine for years.
- This stockpot is terrific for making soup!
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)
Over-cooking the dumplings will cause them to fall apart. If they sink to the bottom there's a good chance you'll break them apart when scraping the pan also.
Chicken and Dumpling Soup is thick like a creamy chicken stew. It's easily thickened with butter and flour. This is a simple method that makes the soup thick and creamy - without any lumps!
You'll want to cover the soup pot - covering will allow the dumplings to steam as they cook.
Open the soup pot and insert a toothpick into the dumpling. If it comes out clean, the dumplings are done!
Deb’s tips for the perfect dish
Dumpling get heavy and chewy when they are submerged into the broth. When you add the dumplings try to float them on the broth, this will result in lighter biscuits!
By slowly simmering these biscuits and allowing your stove top to do the work! Add the biscuits to the soup, cover tightly with a lid and don't peak!
- If you want to thicken the chicken and dumpling soup, do that before adding the dumplings. Mix two teaspoons cornstarch into ⅓ cup cold water. Whisk until smooth. Pour into boiling soup and stir until thickened.
- Leftover chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey all work great in this recipe!
- Fresh or frozen peas are a wonderful addition.
- Using the shortcut of canned biscuits means you won't spend hours making dumpling dough either.
- To keep the dumplings from sticking together toss them in a tablespoon of flour.
- Add a can of cream of chicken soup with herbs if you prefer this stew super creamy.
Check this out for a complete guide to making homemade soups and stews!
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - allow leftovers to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to three days.
Freezer - this soup freezes well. Again, store in an airtight container and freeze up to three months.
Reheat - allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
More recipes you’ll love
Here are more tasty soups I know you'll love! But this just scratches the surface! Click on the photos below to take you directly to the recipe. For all of my soup recipes, click here.
If a casserole is more up your alley, be sure to try this Chicken Potato Casserole next! Want to skip the biscuits? Make your own with this homemade dumplings recipe!
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
This is such a cozy, wonderful meal!
- I know we are baking the leftover biscuits with this meal. But if you're looking for a little something more, this skillet cornbread recipe to enjoy with your homemade chicken and dumpling soup. It would be the perfect combination!
- Sandwiches go nicely with this meal! Cuban Sliders are delicious!
If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Chicken Dumplings Soup
Equipment
- Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken diced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 large carrots cleaned and diced
- 1 onion diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 sprigs thyme remove leaves and dice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- just a pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 package refrigerated bake and serve biscuit dough
- ½ teaspoon tumeric Tumeric is optional, but I love using it in chicken soup. In addition to the beautiful color, it's full of antioxidants - super good for you!
Instructions
- If you're using rotisserie chicken, pull meat from the bones, remove skin and dice or shred. You'll want about 1 ½ cups chicken meat.
- Using a large pot, heat the olive oil & butter over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, red pepper flakes & thyme. Sauté' until the vegetables are soft stirring often - about 5-6 minutes.
- Increase temperature to medium-high heat and sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Continue to cook for another minute.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock. As the mixture comes to a boil it will thicken. Add in the shredded chicken. Lower the heat to medium low.
- Test for seasonings. If needed add salt at this time to taste.
- Open the can of biscuits - remove three biscuits and slice into strips or a small dice. Keeping in mind they will triple in size when they are cooked. Sprinkle them over the top of the soup in one even layer (very important!), do not stack them on top of each other. Cover & simmer for 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are cooked thru.
- The rest of the biscuits....you guessed it! Cook according to package directions and serve them with your meal.
Notes
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Nutrition
If you love this meal as much as I do, be sure to leave a five-star rating below! Also, I love it when you tag me Instagram with pictures of my recipes!
Cindy says
What a great cold-weather meal, thank you!
Camden says
This easy chicken and dumpling soup is the perfect comfort food!
Kristen says
Oooh, I want to try making a gluten free version of your chicken dumpling soup and then freeze it so I have it at the ready (in case of a Sick Day!).
Alyssa says
I love chicken and dumpling soup. Such a great comfort food, especially as the weather cools down!
Cynthia says
This chicken dumpling soup is such an easy comfort food!
Brittany says
Chicken dumpling soup is a must around here, especially if one of us is under the weather!
Jennifer Stewart says
Biscuits are one of the best shortcuts I know! AND this soup is nothing short of spectacular!
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Jennifer! I can't wait until it cools down just a smidge so we can really start enjoying soups again!
Wanda Montgomery says
Mine didn't get thick like it said but it was good. Reminds me of Bob Evans chicken and noodles soup.
I think I made my "dumplings" too small as most seemed to disappear into the soup.
Bowl Me Over says
Glad you enjoyed the soup Wanda!
KS says
Adding the chicken stock slow helps with thickening but I added heavy cream after it was added to make it a little thicker
Bowl Me Over says
Mmmm!! I bet that really made it rich as well - Great addition, thanks for letting me know!
Anjali says
I love hearty soups! Especially with all the crazy weather we've bene having!
Bowl Me Over says
I hear ya there - definitely looking forward to spring! Enjoy that soup!!
Luci's Morsels says
This looks like the perfect soup recipe for comfort during the cold winter months! Yum!
Bowl Me Over says
I know, I'm feeling like winter will never be over...ahhh, I'm sure looking forward to spring!
Swayam says
Spot on for weeeknights! Who can say no to this!? Love the use of biscuits for the dumpling
Bowl Me Over says
Love all that flavor, thank you so much I hope you enjoy the soup!
linda spiker says
This looks amazing! So thick and delicious!
Bowl Me Over says
It's a real favorite, thanks Linda!!
Evi says
Oh!!! I love how easy you've made this!!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you Evi!
Janette@CulinaryGinger.com says
This looks so comforting and I love the use of biscuits as dumplings.
Bowl Me Over says
Gotta take a shortcut when you can huh? Thanks Janette!!
Maeva (Cook A Life! byMaeva) says
Now that I've tried textured vegetable protein as a chicken substitute, I happy to be able to try any chicken recipe and this is one a must try, I love a good soup in the evening! ^_^
Bowl Me Over says
Where do you find textured vegetable protein? I would love to try that as I make many meals meatless. It sounds like a great substitute!!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Ooo! One of my favorite soups that I rarely make! This looks amazing, and now that I'm craving it, I'm looking forward to trying it! It's supposed to be "cold" and raining here in Phoenix this weekend -- perfect timing!
Bowl Me Over says
Enjoy Patricia, this one is so good and so easy - love that! Thanks for stopping by!!
debi at Life Currents says
This soup sounds so comforting. I felt like I was coming down with something yesterday, and I would have loved to have this for dinner.
Bowl Me Over says
It is perfect for those kinda days. Hope you're feeling better now Debi
Michelle says
Looks delish. Can't wait to try it. And we love easy.
Bowl Me Over says
Yes we do huh Michelle! Thanks for taking the time to make a comment, much appreciated!!
Lois says
I love chicken and dumplings soup. This just looks so good.
Bowl Me Over says
Chicken and dumpling is great comfort food, soup is good food!