Description
Tender shredded chicken, vegetables, and homemade fluffy drop dumplings simmer in a thick, creamy chicken broth for a comforting one-pot dinner ready in about 50 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk or half-and-half
- 1 32-ounce quart chicken stock
- 1 additional cup chicken stock when using raw chicken
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, or 1½ pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour for the dumplings
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper for the dumplings
- 1 teaspoon salt for the dumplings
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme for the dumplings
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour in the evaporated milk and chicken stock while stirring until the broth becomes smooth.
- When using cooked chicken, bring the broth to a boil. Add the shredded chicken, thyme, black pepper, and salt, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- When using raw chicken, add the additional cup of stock and the raw chicken. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Shred the chicken, return it to the pot, and reduce the heat.
- Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, black pepper, salt, and thyme together in a medium bowl.
- Make a well in the dry mixture and pour in the whole milk and melted butter.
- Stir gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until a soft dough forms. Add 1 tablespoon milk if the dough feels too dry.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough and place them evenly across the surface of the simmering soup.
- Gently press the dumplings down until the broth runs over their tops.
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, gently separate any dumplings that have stuck together and press their tops beneath the broth.
- Cut one dumpling in half to check the center. If it remains wet, cover the pot and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Gently stir and serve the chicken and dumplings hot.
Notes
- For the fastest preparation, use 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
- Do not overmix the dumpling dough because excessive mixing can create dense dumplings.
- Keep the soup at a low, steady simmer after adding the dumplings to prevent scorching.
- Store the soup and dumplings in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat the soup over medium-low heat and add a splash of stock or milk if it becomes too thick.
- Warm individual portions in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst.
- Freeze the chicken soup base without the dumplings for up to 3 months, then prepare fresh dumplings after reheating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 690
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 1080
- Fat: 34
- Saturated Fat: 19
- Unsaturated Fat: 13
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 56
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 42
- Cholesterol: 155