A classic that is warm and comforting is our Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings Soup! The whole family will enjoy this simple chicken and dumplings supper that consists of airy dumplings and a rich, creamy soup full of veggies and chicken.
Let me present to you our newest, always requested, very creamy, lovely wintertime dish. Our simple soup, Chicken and Dumplings in the Oven. My husband has been requesting this simple chicken and dumpling dish for a while, and I’ve finally given it to him! Now that he is married, he is content, and my kids have proclaimed that this soup is now one of their favorites!
This chicken dumpling soup is so easy to prepare with handmade dumplings, full of flavor from some of our favorite soup ingredients, and velvety without the need for cream that you’ll adore it! A huge plus is that my kids always enjoy soup that is high in vegetables.
Ingredients Needed
- For this dish, we recommend using chicken breasts, but feel free to use chicken thighs as well!
- Always season your chicken with salt and pepper before cooking!
- Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic comprise the vegetables; they are comparable to the French mirepoix or the Italian sofrito, however both employ a higher proportion of onion to carrots and celery.
- To help thicken the soup, combine the flour and butter to make a roux.
- Seasonings: Sage, ground mustard (my favorite addition to soup), and celery salt (for the biscuits).
- Just enough milk to help it get creamy. Though you may use 1% or full, we always have 2% on hand.
- Ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, baking soda, and handmade dumplings!
- Lemon juice and chicken stock combine to provide the perfect amount of acidity to bring everything together.
Using a Dutch Oven
Is a Dutch oven required for this recipe? Definitely not, but be sure you use a big pan with a hefty bottom. For this dish, as well as most soups, a Dutch oven works well since it lets you sear the meat and sauté the vegetables while also maintaining and holding heat effectively for simmering thanks to its cast iron composition.
Although many people are familiar with a well-known enameled Dutch oven, our colleagues at Finex just sent us their exquisite 7-quart stone-polished Dutch oven, which has angled pour spouts, a flawlessly seasoned cast iron cooking surface, and an all-around lovely, unique design. It is a pleasure to cook in and a sight to behold when serving!
Easy to Make
Season and Sear
Sear your cubed chicken after seasoning it with salt and pepper to start this soup with chicken and dumplings. Although the chicken may be cooked directly in the soup, searing it first releases a ton of flavor and renders part of the meat’s fat, giving the soup’s overall taste a richer, more complex flavor.
Create Roux and Add Veggies
The following stage to create taste and depth. The basic soup foundation of onion, celery, and carrots is enhanced by the addition of roux, which also helps to thicken the sauce.
Add Stock and Milk
Once the vegetables have been sautéed for a few minutes, gradually pour in the chicken stock, being sure to scrape off any flavor-laden brown pieces from the Dutch oven’s bottom. Mix in the roux to thicken the soup. After adding the chicken back to the saucepan, boil and simmer the mixture.
Create Dumpling Dough
You can now make the really simple dumplings for this simple chicken and dumplings soup while your soup is cooking. Sift flour, baking powder, milk, and parsley; cut in cold butter and combine to form a simple dough. Simple as pie!
What’s the Difference Between Dumplings and Biscuits?
Ever wonder why some recipes are called dumplings or chicken and biscuits? There is a significant difference between the two even if their components could be quite similar or the same. Put simply, dumplings are steamed and cooked in a hot liquid (like soup), whereas biscuits are baked. A steamed dumpling has a light fluffy starchy texture with a velvety exterior, but your traditional baked biscuit would be flaky.
Add the Dumplings
The dumplings are the last ingredient in this simple Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumpling Soup! After adding it to your boiling soup, cover the Dutch oven and allow the ingredients to cook until they are perfectly fluffy. The starch in the dumpling dough thickens the soup while the dumplings cook, which is one of the nicest things about chicken and dumplings!
Tips for Fluffy Dumplings
Sift the flour
Must you? No, you don’t have to, but the fluffiest dumplings are made with it. How does flour get sifted? It breaks up lumps in the flour and aerates it, which will assist to create wonderful, fluffy dumplings. Basically, it makes all the flour the same consistency.
Add just a touch of sugar
These are savory dumplings, but a small amount of sugar will assist them hold onto their moisture content and guarantee perfectly soft dumplings.
Cut in cold butter
You may make sure the butter is thoroughly mixed into the dough by chopping it into your flour. Using melted butter results in an uneven, clumpy dough since it doesn’t absorb the butter as evenly.
Do I have to use a Pastry Cutter?
Although it’s a nice tool to have in your kitchen, it’s not absolutely essential. Using your hands, a food processor, or even forks, you may cut the butter into the flour.
Prep ahead!
These dumplings are freezer-safe if you prepare them in advance. Refer to the recipe’s notes.
Simmer to Finish Cooking
While the dumplings boil, let them simmer and finish cooking in the stock, which will also thicken the broth even more! You’ll have a rich, creamy soup with delightfully fluffy dumplings when it’s finished!
An simple soup of chicken and dumplings, rich of vegetables and creamy without the use of cream, that’s great for chilly weather. Cozy and soothing.
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Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 3 tablespoons salted butter divided
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 large white onion diced about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic about 1 tablespoon
- 2 cups celery chopped about 4 stalks
- 2 cups carrot chopped about 4 medium sized carrots
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teasspoon dried sage
- 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup milk 2% or whole
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dumplings
- 1 cup all purpose flour 140 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 8 grams
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter cold
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 8 grams
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Place the cubed chicken in a medium-sized bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt for seasoning. To coat, mix.
- In a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the chicken and sear it for 5–6 minutes on one side. For an additional five minutes, stir and sear the opposite side. Take out of the pan and place aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt two tablespoons of butter. Use a spoon to scrape up some of the flavorful browned crumbs from the pan’s bottom as it melts. To make a roux, add two teaspoons of flour and stir. Stir constantly until a roux forms.
- Add the onion and garlic, cover with roux, and cook, stirring often, for one to two minutes. Saute for a further two to three minutes after adding the carrots, celery, celery salt, ground mustard, sage, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and gradually add the chicken stock, stirring and scraping off any browned pieces from the pan’s bottom as you go. Add 1 cup of milk after adding all of the stock.
- Bring the chicken back to a boil in the Dutch oven before lowering the heat to a simmer. Pour in the lemon juice. Simmer for ten minutes.
- In the meantime, transfer flour and baking soda into a medium-sized basin by sieving. Add and stir in salt. Two tablespoons of cubed, cold butter should be added. Using a pastry cutter, chop butter into flour until it is completely combined and the dough is crumbly.
- Mix in the dry parsley and then the milk, continuing to mix until a sticky batter or dough forms. While the soup simmers, set aside.
- Simmer for ten minutes, then increase the heat to a soft boil once more. Gather spoonfuls of dough and carefully drop them into the soup using an oil-coated spoon or dough scooper (optional but will assist prevent sticking). Continue separating them with some space until all of the dough has been utilized, which should yield 6–8 dumplings.
- To allow the dumplings simmer and the soup thicken, cover and boil for an additional fifteen minutes.
- Reduce heat after 15 minutes, serve, and savor!
Notes
- Refrigerate: For up to three days, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Although the cooked dumplings don’t keep as well, you can store them in the freezer for up to three months. We advise preparing twice as many dumplings if you intend to freeze them raw so you can thaw them out and then add them to the soup.
- It works excellent to prepare these dumplings ahead of time. After mixing the dough, spoon it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and flash freeze (for at least one hour). Layer the frozen dumplings in an airtight container separated by parchment paper.
- Cooking With Frozen Food: After thawing overnight in the refrigerator, return to the boiling soup and cook for ten to fifteen minutes more.
- Chicken: If you would rather have your soup with shredded chicken, you can substitute entire chicken breasts or cubed chicken thighs in place of the breasts. Just take the whole breasts out of the Dutch oven, shred it, and put it back in the pot before adding the dumplings. Sear the breasts all at once and add them to the soup. This is also a terrific way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. 4 1/2 cups of cooked chicken may be made from 2 pounds of raw chicken. Before adding the dumplings, add the precooked chicken during the first simmer.
- Our preferred color for onions is white, but yellow is also a fantastic option.
- Stock: Pick the best option! Use leftover turkey flesh on chicken, vegetables, or even turkey.
- Herbs: You may use 1 tablespoon of fresh herb for every 1 teaspoon of dry herb, such as parsley, sage, and oregano.