Warm up this winter with a bowl of old fashioned chicken and dumplings soup. Coming home to a large pot of this hearty soup at a gentle simmer on the stove is perfect for cold weather days and will leave you feeling full and satisfied.
Homemade Chicken Soup is one of those comfort foods that just can’t be beat. It’s warm, hearty, and unbelievably delicious. This recipe is easy to follow, and perfect for a cozy night in.
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Chicken Soup for the Soul and Healing
Whether you believe in the power of chicken soup or not, there’s no denying that a steaming bowl brings warmth to your heart and soul. The enticing aroma will make any person take note as they walk past with their nose pressed up against the window trying just one more sniff before walking away again – never knowing what secrets lurk within this delicious concoction.
There are a lot of chicken soups that I have tried through the years, I seem to keep coming back to this easy chicken soup recipe. The classic flavors of a good chicken soup are hard to beat. This is easy enough to make for an easy weeknight dinner too.
Chicken and Dumplings Soup Ingredients
This simple soup builds on a great flavorful base of celery, carrots and onion then add in tender chicken and easy homemade dumplings and this soup is simply amazing! This might just be the best chicken soup recipe that I have ever eaten. For our family, the homemade dumplings take this to the next level.
The Chicken Soup Ingredients
Chicken. This recipe is very versatile when it comes to chicken. I have used rotisserie chicken, leftover cooked chicken, chicken breasts, a whole chicken, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, or even bone-in, skinless chicken breasts. If you plan to prepare your own broth for the soup, I like to use the whole chicken or bone-in skin-on chicken pieces. This will give you the best flavor. But leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken is a great way to make this soup in under half an hour.Broth. Use a store-bought broth, prepare your own, or use water and soup base, or bouillon cubes to make your own.
Fresh Vegetables. I use a mixture of onion, celery, and carrots to my chicken soup recipe.
Herbs and Seasonings. I like to keep things simple with this time-tested delicious recipe. Just a little bit of black pepper and dried parsley. If I am making my own broth, then I will add salt. However, if I am using a soup base to flavor the soup, then I will not add the salt as the soup base already has plenty in it. If I happen to have fresh herbs such as parsley or fresh dill on hand, I will chop that up and add it during the last few minutes of cooking too. It will add such a fresh taste and great flavor to this soup.
The Easy Dumplings Ingredients
Now I need to tell you, for many years, making successful dumplings was a hit and miss. They were either too soft, too hard, or fell apart completely. Then I stopped trying to make homemade dumplings.
Finally, a family friend was talking about her aunt’s torn dumplings that she uses to make soup all the time. I asked for the recipe as I had the pleasure of enjoying her aunt’s cooking many times. She owned a catering business in town, so I knew they must be good. Bless her heart, she shared the great recipe with me.
I now make perfect dumplings every single time with just a few simple ingredients quite often now. For us, they are the best part of this delicious comfort food recipe.
- All Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Egg
- Milk
Cooking the Chicken for Chicken Stock
If you want to make your own homemade chicken broth and cook your chicken at the same time for your soup base, here is an easy way to accomplish this.
Just add the raw chicken pieces to a large soup pot filled with enough cold water to cover the meat. Cover and cook on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and simmer approximately 35-40 minutes until the chicken is falling off the bone.
Using the chicken and broth. Once the chicken is done, turn off the heat. Carefully remove the chicken and set aside to cool for a bit until you can safely handle it to remove the bones and dice the chicken into bite-size pieces or use two forks to shred the chicken. Strain the broth and add to the chicken soup recipe.
How to Make Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Soup
Making the Chicken Soup
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot, then the diced onion, carrots, and celery. While the vegetables are sauteing, either shred or cut the chicken into small pieces.
Add to the kettle. Add the water, soup base, and juice from the chicken container.
Making the Dumplings
In a medium bowl, stir the flour and salt together.
Mix in the egg and milk, letting it rest 2 minutes.
Once the soup is at a full boil, either tear off small pieces or use a teaspoon to drop pieces of the dough into the soup.
The dumplings will float when they are almost done cooking. Cook for an additional 3 minutes to allow them to fully cook through. Top with the dried parsley the last few minutes of cooking.
Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Soup
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
Chicken Soup Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion diced
- 3 Medium Carrots diced
- 4 Ribs Celery diced
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon Soup Base Heaping Tbsp. taste the broth, you might want to add more or less per your taste preference
- 6 Cups Water enough to fill kettle
- 1 Whole Rotisserie Chicken cut up or shredded plus the juices
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
Dumplings Ingredients
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Cup Milk
Instructions
Making the Chicken Soup
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to the kettle, then the diced onion, carrots, and celery. While the vegetables are sauteing, either shred or cut the chicken into small pieces. Add to the kettle.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Medium Onion, 3 Medium Carrots, 4 Ribs Celery, 1 Whole Rotisserie Chicken
- Add the water, soup base, black pepper, and juice from the chicken container.1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon, 6 Cups Water
Making the Dumplings
- In a medium bowl, stir the flour and salt together.3 Cups All Purpose Flour, 2 Teaspoons Salt
- Mix in the egg and milk, letting it rest 2 minutes.1 Large Egg, 1 Cup Milk
- Once the soup is at a full boil, either tear off small pieces or use a teaspoon to drop pieces of the dough into the soup.
- The dumplings will float when they are almost done cooking. Cook for an additional 3 minutes to allow them to fully cook through.
- Top with the dried parsley the last few minutes of cooking.1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
Recipe Video
How Long Does Chicken Soup Last in the Fridge?
Store chicken soup in the fridge for 5 days. When you are ready to eat, just ladle enough into a microwave safe container and reheat a few minutes until hot. You can also reheat in a saucepan a few minutes until hot. By reheating just the portion you plan on eating, the rest of the soup will stay cold and be sure to keep for the 5 days in the fridge.Can you freeze homemade chicken dumpling soup?
Yes, you can freeze chicken and dumplings soup. To freeze, allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Fill freezer-friendly containers just over half full. Do not fill to the top as the contents will expand upon freezing. Use containers such as an airtight plastic container or freezer plastic bags, or you can double-bag the contents. Make sure if using plastic bags, that you remove most of the air and again fill just over half full. The soup will keep frozen for up to 6-8 months. To reheat and eat right away, you can take the lid off an airtight container and microwave it. If you have it stored in plastic bags, you can reheat by simmering water in a kettle and adding the plastic bag (still sealed). This will quickly thaw the soup.Once the soup is thawed, it can be reheated in a saucepan or the microwave. In just a few minutes it will be nice and hot and ready to enjoy.
Nutrition
A few of my favorite things
The Power of Positivity
What to Serve with Chicken Soup?
I like to have a piece of crusty bread or crackers with my soup. However, if you happen to have enough time, you can make your own croutons out of bread, which adds just the perfect crunch.
Make this garlic toast in just a few minutes with any bread you happen to have available to you.
If you love soup to warm you up in the colder months, find some of our favorite delicious soup recipes.
How Long Does Chicken Soup Last in the Fridge?
Store chicken soup in the fridge for 5 days. When you are ready to eat, just ladle enough into a microwave safe container and reheat a few minutes until hot. You can also reheat in a saucepan a few minutes until hot. By reheating just the portion you plan on eating, the rest of the soup will stay cold and be sure to keep for the 5 days in the fridge.
Can you freeze homemade chicken dumpling soup?
Yes, you can freeze chicken and dumplings soup. To freeze, allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Fill freezer-friendly containers just over half full. Do not fill to the top as the contents will expand upon freezing. Use containers such as an airtight plastic container or freezer plastic bags, or you can double-bag the contents. Make sure if using plastic bags, that you remove most of the air and again fill just over half full.
The soup will keep frozen for up to 6-8 months.
To reheat and eat right away, you can take the lid off an airtight container and microwave it. If you have it stored in plastic bags, you can reheat by simmering water in a kettle and adding the plastic bag (still sealed). This will quickly thaw the soup.
Once the soup is thawed, it can be reheated in a saucepan or the microwave. In just a few minutes it will be nice and hot and ready to enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.