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Cozy Southern Chicken and Dumplings Soup: Easy One-Pot Dinner

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This cozy Southern chicken and dumplings soup is a comforting one-pot meal with tender drop dumplings and a rich, velvety broth. It’s quick, easy, and perfect for cold nights or when you need a warm hug in a bowl.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup whole milk

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the vegetables have softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat everything evenly. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add it in three additions, stirring well after each pour. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.
  5. Add the shredded chicken, dried thyme, poultry seasoning (if using), and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and let it bubble gently while you make the dumplings.
  6. Make the dumpling dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Add the cold butter cubes and cut them into the flour using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
  7. Pour in the cold milk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. It will look lumpy and a little dry in spots. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated.
  8. Drop the dumplings: Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop, drop rounded spoonfuls of dough (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) directly onto the simmering soup. Don’t submerge them. You should get about 12 to 14 dumplings.
  9. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes. Do not peek!
  10. Remove the lid and gently stir in the milk. The dumplings will have puffed up and the broth will have thickened. Let it simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 more minutes to warm the milk through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
  11. Serve immediately, ladled into bowls and topped with fresh parsley.

Notes

Don’t rush the roux; cook the flour for 2 minutes to remove raw taste. Use cold butter and cold milk for the dumplings. Simmer, don’t boil, when dropping dumplings. Resist the urge to stir after adding dumplings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of broth or milk. Freezing not recommended with dumplings; freeze soup base without dumplings for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: chicken and dumplings, Southern chicken soup, one-pot dinner, comfort food, easy soup recipe, drop dumplings, cozy soup

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/cozy-southern-chicken-and-dumplings-soup-easy-one-pot-dinner/