Enjoy Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup with an easy homemade recipe! Chock full of tender veggies in a velvety creamy chicken soup, this is a comforting dish to warm your soul!
Learn how to make creamy chicken and dumplings with an easy hack!
Making creamy chicken and dumplings
Most chicken and dumpling soup recipes use milk, half and half, or heavy cream to achieve a creamy consistency. While these may be used, I found an easy hack yields even better results.
Using a trick from The Novice Chef, I replaced the cream with evaporated milk. It superseded any other versions. Evaporated milk makes chicken and dumplings creamy because it is a concentrated version of milk.
Canned evaporated milk is a shelf stable product with 60 percent of the water removed, so you are left with just all that essential creaminess. It adds a superior taste while leaving out the excessive fat and calories of heavy cream.
INGREDIENTS needed
Just like Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie and Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings recipe, the combination of ingredients creates a cacophony of comfort flavors. Homestyle veggies, like carrots, celery, and peas with tender chicken in a creamy soup warms the soul.
- Butter
- Vegetables – onions, carrots, celery, peas, and garlic. If desired, chopped potatoes may also be added
- Chicken breasts or boneless, skinless thighs
- Flour – all purpose or gluten-free flour for gluten-free dumplings
- Chicken broth
- Seasonings – Dried parsley, onion powder, dried thyme
- Evaporated milk – best ingredient to use for creamy and dumplings
How to Make Chicken and dumpling soup
- First melt the butter in large stockpot or dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.
- Next, add the chopped chicken, salt, and pepper to the vegetables. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.
- Sprinkle the flour over everything. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the broth to the pan, stirring constantly. Once all the broth has been added, stir in the seasonings. Pour in the evaporated milk, peas, and stir to combine. Cook until the soup has thickened.
- Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, while the ingredients are mixed together for the the dumplings. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, melted butter, and milk until it forms a soft dough.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon to scrape the dumplings into the hot soup. Gently stir occasionally to rotate the dumplings and cook for 10-12 minutes, uncovered.
Gluten-free dumplings
If you’d like to enjoy gluten-free chicken and dumplings this recipe can be transformed easily. Since this homemade recipe doesn’t use condensed cream of chicken soup, you will only have use a different flour for gluten-free dumplings.
Simply swap out the flour with a high quality all-purpose gluten-free flour. I tested the recipe with, and highly recommend, Cup4Cup gluten free flour., but more recommendations can be found in this best gluten-free flour resource.
When making gluten-free chicken and dumplings, they take a little longer to cook. I usually error on the side of overcooking because gluten-free flour takes longer for the moisture to evaporate. To check if they are done, cut into one because sometimes the toothpick trick can be deceiving.
If you love thick and creamy gluten free soups, try GF Cream of Mushroom Soup or gluten-free cream of chicken soup!
using canned biscuits
You may use canned biscuits to save time or if you don’t need a gluten-free dumplings recipe.
Separate biscuits from two 7.5 ounce refrigerated canned biscuits containers. Cut each biscuit dough circle into 8 wedges. Drop into hot chicken soup, simmering for 8-9 minutes.
storing and reheating tips
Store leftovers in airtight container, refrigerated up to three days. Since this recipe uses evaporated milk, leftovers are freezer friendly. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat using the method described below.
The key is low and slow when reheating! I like to use the stovetop to control the heat and stir frequently. If you find the sauce has thickened too much, add an additional splash of milk.
The microwave may also be used, but cook at 50% power. Start with 2 minutes, stir, and add more time at 50% power. Finish the last 30 seconds to 1 minute on full power to heat through.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Don’t be alarmed if the soup isn’t thick as you’d like it at first. It will become thicker once the dumplings are added to the top. Don’t be tempted to whisk in additional thickener until after the dumplings have cooked through.
Depending on how large the drop dumplings are, they will take 10-12 minutes to cook through. To check if the dumplings are cooked through, insert a toothpick or skewer into the middle. It should come out clean without wet sticky dough attached to it.
If you are making gluten-free dumplings, you may want to cut into one because sometimes the toothpick trick can be deceiving.
Chicken dumpling soup requires a smaller drop dumpling since this is a meal to be enjoyed with a spoon, rather than a knife and fork.
When you drop the dumplings into the soup they will double in size. To do this quickly I use a small cookie scoop, but you may also use a teaspoon and scrape it into the hot soup. Aim for your dumplings to be one level tablespoon or less for the best soup size.
If you don’t have evaporated milk on hand, or rather not use it, replace it with one cup whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream.
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step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
MORE comforting soup RECIPes
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Panera Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
- Roasted Cream of Tomato Soup
- Pumpkin Sausage Soup
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Creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
Creamy Chicken Soup
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped in bite-sized pieces
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper, divided
- ¼ cup all purpose flour, or gluten free all purpose flour, such as Cup 4 Cup
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Dumplings
- 1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour, or gluten free all purpose flour, such as Cup 4 Cup
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup milk
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes, or until the veggies are crisp tender. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
- Add the chopped chicken, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper to the vegetables. Cook and stir for 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.
- Sprinkle the flour over everything. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium low. Slowly add the broth to the pot, about 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Once all the broth has been added, stir in the remaining ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme.
- Pour in the evaporated milk and peas. Stir to combine. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, while the ingredients are mixed together for the the dumplings.
- For the dumplings, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper. Add the cooled butter, milk, and stir until a soft dough forms.
- Use a small spoon to scoop up a dumpling ball less than 1 tablespoon (NOTE: Dumplings will double in size once they are cooked). Use another spoon to scrape the dough into the simmering liquid. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Gently stir occasionally to rotate the dumplings and cook for 10-12 minutes, uncovered, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
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Equipment Needed
Recipe Notes
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why Isn’t my soup thick?
The soup will become thicker once the dumplings are added to the top. Flour from the dumplings also helps thicken the soup. Don’t be tempted to whisk in additional thickener until after the dough has cooked through.How can I tell when my dumplings are done?
Depending on how large the drop dumplings are, they will take 10-12 minutes to cook through. To check if the dumplings are cooked through insert a toothpick or skewer into the middle. It should come out clean without wet sticky dough attached to it. If you are making gluten free dumplings, you may want to cut into one because sometimes the toothpick trick can be deceiving.How to reheat chicken and dumpling soup
The key is low and slow when reheating! I like to use the stovetop to control the heat and stir frequently. If you find the sauce has thickened too much, add an additional splash of milk. The microwave may also be used, but cook at 50% power. Start with 2 minutes, stir, and add more time at 50% power. Finish the last 30 seconds to 1 minute on full power to heat through.Can this recipe be made gluten free?
Yes, creamy chicken and dumpling soup can be transformed into a gluten free recipe very easily since it contains no condensed cream of chicken soup. Simply swap out the flour with a high quality all-purpose gluten free flour. I tested the recipe with, and highly recommend, Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour. If you are making gluten free dumplings, they take a little longer to cook. I usually error on the side of overcooking the dumplings because gluten free flour takes longer for the moisture to evaporate. To check if they are done, cut into one because sometimes the toothpick trick can be deceiving.What can I substitute for evaporated milk?
If you don’t have evaporated milk on hand, or rather not use it, replace it with one cup whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream.Nutrition
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MC says
I don’t usually leave reviews but these are the best dumplings I’ve ever made. Soft and airy enough to hold together with a slight chew and they melt in your mouth. The only thing I did differently was cook them covered and for less time. Unlike most soup dumplings I make, these are just as good (if not better) leftover.
Melissa says
This makes me so happy! Thank you for taking the time to share. I really appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa
Cara says
Fabulous! We’ve tried other chicken dumpling soup recipes, and for our family of 5 this made everyone happy. I love cooking the dumplings in the soup instead of separately. Personal taste, we like our carrots al dante and peas fresh, so I put in carrots just before adding dumplings and peas after soup cooked. Recipe is going to be on regular rotation for us🙂
Melissa says
Thank Cara! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
Steffani says
This soup is delicious! I used 1 can of coconut milk in place of the evaporated milk and I used lactaid milk in the dumplings. I will definitely be making this again! I didn’t know dumplings were so easy!
Melissa says
Yay Steffani! They are! Thanks for letting me know about the modifications. So helpful!
Best,
Melissa
Alice Miller says
This recipe took me back to my childhood! It’s perfect and creamy and filled with yummy deliciousness. My family loved it, even my husband who hates anything chicken. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Melissa says
Yay, always love when the picky husband is won over! Thank you so much for sharing, Alice.
Best,
Melissa
Joann Perez says
Omg!!! Absolutely delicious 😋 my family devoured it will definitely be making again BRAVO 👏 🙌 👍
Melissa says
So glad to hear, Joann! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa