Creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup

Three drop dumplings in in a bowl of chicken soup.

Creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup

This Chicken and Dumpling soup is savory, hearty, and warming- the perfect homestyle meal for a chilly day. Fluffy, doughy dumplings simmer in a flavorful chicken soup loaded with tender shreds of chicken thighs and vegetables.

This creamy, homestyle soup is the ultimate in comfort food. It's one of those dinners that's made for family gatherings, and it is incredibly easy to make.

The Parmesan dumplings are tender and incredibly flavorful.

We have directions for the stovetop or the Instant Pot.

4.94 from 48 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 529kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

For the Chicken Soup

3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 carrots diced
2 celery ribs diced
1 large onion finely chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

For the Dumplings

1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup whole milk
5 tablespoons butter

Optional thickener

2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup cold water

Instructions

Stovetop Directions (see below for Instant Pot)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the chicken to the pot and sear for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the butter to the pot and stir until melted. Toss the carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Cook over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to get the browned-on bits loosened. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and milk. Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Add the chicken (along with the juices on the plate) to the pot and push them down into the broth. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium or a low simmer. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones. Shred or chop the chicken and return it to the pot.

For the Dumplings

Combine the flour, parmesan, chives, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Heat the milk and butter in the microwave or on the stovetop until the butter has melted and the milk is warm. Fold the warm milk and butter into the flour mixture.
Bring the soup to a low simmer (you should see a few gentle bubbles but not a rolling boil). Drop golf-ball sized balls of the dough right on top of the soup. Do not push them down but separate them with a spoon.
Reduce the heat to low and place the lid on the pot. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until the dumplings double in size. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Instant Pot Directions

Set the instant pot to saute. When it is hot, add the olive oil then cook the chicken thighs in batches. Cook them for about 5 minutes per side or until they are brown. Set them off to the side on a plate.
Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper (do not add the flour).
Pour in the wine, and chicken broth, then put the chicken thighs back into the Instant Pot and push them into the stew. Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper (do not add the milk).

Make the dumplings:

Combine the flour, parmesan, chives, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Heat the milk and butter in the microwave or on the stovetop until the butter has melted and the milk is warm.
Fold the milk and butter into the flour mixture.
Drop large balls of the dough right on top of the chicken. Do not push them down but separate them with a spoon.
Place the lid on and set the Instant Pot to high for 18 minutes.
Allow the Instant Pot to release the pressure naturally, then remove the lid and remove the chicken thighs. Shred the chicken off the bones and return the meat to the pot. Stir in the 1 cup of milk.
Taste and season with salt as needed. If you want the stew thicker, see the next step.

Optional: thicken the soup if desired

Place the Instant Pot on saute mode.
Combine the cornstarch and water in a dish. Whisk until smooth then slowly pour into the stew while stirring.
Cook on saute mode for 3 to 4 minutes until thick.

Notes

Using bone-in chicken thighs will give the stew a deeper flavor, but boneless chicken thighs work as well.
To make sure your dumplings are tender and light, do not over-stir the flour and milk mixture. Just fold the ingredients together until they are combined, then stop mixing.
As the dumplings cook, they almost double in size and will slightly thicken the stew. If you want the stew thicker, use the optional cornstarch at the end. If you want a thinner soup, add additional chicken broth.
When you brown the chicken, don’t crowd the pot, or they will just steam and won’t get a brown crust. If you work in batches, they will brown easier.
If you make this chicken dumpling soup in the Instant Pot, do not stir the flour in with the vegetables, and add the milk in the final step.
For the parmesan dumplings: Adding warm milk to the flour mixture creates a lighter, fluffier dumpling texture. However, make sure you don't overstir the dumping dough, or they can become tough.

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