Chicken Soup with Fluffy Dumplings (Printable Version)
Hearty broth simmered with chicken, veggies, and topped with light, fluffy dumplings for ultimate comfort.
# What You'll Need:
→ Soup
01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 2.5 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
10 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
11 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1 cup frozen peas
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Fluffy Dumplings
15 - 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour (210 g)
16 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
17 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
18 - ¾ teaspoon salt
19 - 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
20 - ¾ cup whole milk (180 ml)
21 - 1 large egg, lightly beaten
22 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, dried thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chicken thighs and pour in chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through.
04 - Remove chicken from pot and discard bay leaf. Shred meat with two forks, discarding bones, then return shredded chicken to the pot.
05 - Stir in frozen peas and chopped parsley. Maintain a gentle simmer while preparing the dumplings.
06 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
07 - In a small bowl, whisk milk, beaten egg, and optional parsley. Pour into dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
08 - Drop tablespoon-sized spoonfuls of dough onto simmering soup (approximately 12 dumplings). Cover and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
09 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot, garnished with additional parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dumplings are genuinely fluffy, not dense or gummy, because the baking powder does the heavy lifting while you just stir gently.
- Chicken thighs stay tender and juicy through the whole cooking time, unlike breasts which can turn stringy if you're not watching.
- It comes together in just over an hour, which means you can have something this comforting on a weeknight without the stress.
02 -
- Do not open the lid while the dumplings are cooking, even though the steam makes you curious; they need that undisturbed steam to rise properly and stay tender.
- If your dough feels sticky, your dumplings will be dense—mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined, which means you should still see a few flour streaks.
- The chicken thighs are your insurance policy; their fat and connective tissue keep the broth rich and golden even after long simmering.
03 -
- If you're not serving right away, keep the dumplings and soup slightly separate—add the dumplings to individual bowls and ladle the hot soup over them, which keeps them from getting soggy if there are leftovers.
- Thaw your frozen peas in the broth itself rather than adding them directly; they'll warm through gently and stay bright green instead of turning dull from the heat shock.