chickensoup – The Ardent Cook

Chicken and Dumplings is a classic comfort food recipe. I grew up eating this on school nights, coming home from winter track practice to smells of chicken soup and biscuit batter. The base of this dish is a slightly thickened-up chicken soup…. not as thick as a chicken pot pie filling, but more stick-to-your-ribs than traditional soup. Then, free-form biscuits get dropped into the bubbling soup and steamed until you have a dozen pillowy dumpling floating and waiting to be devoured. It’s so good!

Ingredients needed to make Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe requires the typical myriad of chicken soup ingredients; celery, carrots, onions, sage, thyme, etc. I love this dish because of the versatility. It’s great for a warming family dinner, to serve to guests (if we can ever have those again), or to prep for a few days of lunches. It also transitions seamlessly between all-purpose flour and a 1-1 gluten free flour blend, so there are no issues if you need to eliminate the gluten. You’ll see options to make this meal dairy-free as well in the recipe section. Here’s the full list:

Butter (or olive oil)
Shredded chicken
Yellow onion
Carrots
Celery
Garlic
All-purpose flour (or 1-1 GF flour blend)
Chicken broth
Heavy cream (or full-fat unsweetened coconut milk)
Fresh sage
Fresh thyme
Frozen peas (optional)
Fresh parsley
Eggs
Baking powder
Baking soda
Milk (or full-fat unsweetened coconut milk)

Tools used to make Chicken and Dumplings

I can’t say it enough- I love soups. They require so few tools to pull off and they’re really hard to mess up. LOVE them. Here are all the tools you’ll need to make these Chicken and Dumplings easily:

Sharp knife
Cutting board
Large Dutch oven with lid (or a soup pot)
Medium mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
A wooden spoon
A ladle, for serving
#40 (~1.5 tbsp) cookie scoop (optional, but very useful)

How to make Chicken and Dumplings

As mentioned above, this recipe is very akin to a traditional chicken soup crossed with a chicken pot pie filling. The process starts the same as any other soup, by chopping your onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cooking them down in some butter. Once the veggies have started to take on a little color, you’ll sprinkle in some flour and fresh herbs to coat the veggies, then pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream. You’ll let the soup simmer over medium heat, stirring here and there, until it thickens up slightly.

While the soup thickens, you’ll prepare a basic biscuit batter of flour, an egg, butter, milk, and a few other ingredients. The batter will be a touch thicker than, say, a pancake batter, but you won’t believe how the dumplings cook up in the soup. It’s amazing!

Once the soup has thickened, add the shredded (and already cooked!) chicken and frozen peas, if using, to the pot. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly. Lower the heat so the soup is no longer boiling, then use a cookie scoop (or a small measuring cup) to drop roughly 2 tbsp worth of batter into the soup.. The batter will immediately come together to form floating dumplings once it hits the heat, then just keeping adding little scoops until all of the batter is used. Cover the pot completely and walk away for 15 minutes, then return to find the most amazing pot of chicken and dumplings! I love to serve this with fresh parsley over top and an extra crack of black pepper. That’s it!

Looking for other stick-to-your-ribs recipes?

Try these ideas from The Arden Cook!

Pork Chile Verde

Instant Pot French Onion Quinoa Beef Stew

Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder

Recipe Ingredients

For the Soup

2 tbsp salted butter (or ghee)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

5 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp all-purpose flour (or 1-1 GF flour blend)

4 ½ cups chicken broth

½ cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk)

1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Dumplings

1 cup plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or 1-1 GF flour blend)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

Rounded ¼ tsp baking soda

½ cup milk (or full-fat coconut milk)

5 tbsp butter, melted (or ghee)

1 large egg

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Recipe Instructions

Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add onions, carrots, celery, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté 4-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.
Sprinkle in 2 Tbsp flour and the fresh herbs, then stir to coat the vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly to avoid flour clumping. Then, add the heavy cream. Simmer over medium-low for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, make the dumpling batter. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
Once the soup has thickened, stir in the shredded chicken and frozen peas, if using. Lower the heat and ensure the soup is not bubbling, then use the cookie scoop or a small 1/4 cup measuring cup filled halfway to drop scoops of batter into the hot soup. The dumplings will immediately start to form and rise to the top. Repeat until all the batter has been scooped into the soup, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the lid and garnish the soup with fresh parsley and another crack of black pepper. Ladle into bowls, ensuring every bowl gets plenty of soup and at least 1-2 dumplings each, and serve hot. Enjoy!

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Herbed Chicken Tortellini Soup is a bowl of comfort, perfect for a chilly Tuesday evening such as this one (if you live in the northeast). While many traditional tortellini soups incorporate a basic cheese tortellini, I’ve chosen to use a variety filled with a mixture of chicken, herbs, and a little ricotta for a dose of protein and extra flavor. If you’d like to keep this soup vegetarian, simply swap the chicken-filled tortellini for a cheese variety and use vegetable or mushroom stock instead of chicken broth. Make this soup dairy free by choosing a vegan tortellini (with a non-dairy filling) and incorporating canned coconut milk instead of the heavy cream. There are loads of ways to make this soup fit into your diet preference, just as long as you enjoy it with a hunk of crusty bread, wrapped in a cozy blanket. I know you’re going to love it!

Ingredients needed to make Herbed Chicken Tortellini Soup

This soup calls upon a lot of long-lasting vegetables and canned goods, making it the perfect meal for weeks when it’s already Tuesday and you haven’t made it to the grocery store for the week yet. I’m having one of those weeks. The worst. Here’s the list of everything you’ll need:

Olive oil
Yellow onion
Carrots
Celery
Fresh thyme
Garlic
Chicken stock
Canned crushed tomatoes
Tomato paste
Heavy cream
Chicken and herb filled tortellini
Tuscan kale
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt
Crushed red chili flakes
Black pepper
Parmesan cheese

Tools used to make Herbed Chicken Tortellini Soup

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I love a good soup because of the minimal clean up. You pretty much always need a good sharp knife and large cutting board to make my recipes, but other than that, you’ll just want to get out your favorite large soup pot and a ladle for serving. Optional, but not necessary, is a citrus juicer for squeezing the lemons. This one is a force juicer and it makes my life in the kitchen so much easier!

How to make Herbed Chicken Tortellini Soup

As with most soups, the base is comprised of a mirepoix. Mirepoix is a term referring to a blend of diced celery, carrots, and onions. It’s the start of many popular dishes in classical French cooking, and it’s what we use to create ample flavor for this soup.

You’ll begin by sautéing the mirepoix with some fresh thyme in olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, you’ll add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth, along with a few seasonings. This liquid gets simmered for 10-15 minutes or so, until the carrots have softened, as they take a bit longer to cook than the celery and onion.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish, including prep time for chopping. Towards the end of the cooking, you’ll lower the heat and stir in your heavy cream, kale, and tortellini.

I recommend using fresh tortellini in this recipe, which is typically found in the refrigerated section by the deli or cheese area. Shelf-stable tortellini takes much longer to cook, and you run the risk of overcooking the vegetables in your base if you choose this variety. If you can’t find the fresh tortellini, simply add the dried tortellini (while the soup is still simmering) a bit earlier, before adding the heavy cream and kale.

At the very end, you’ll stir in the fresh lemon juice (it tends to get bitter if cooked for too long), ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with parmesan cheese. It’s a complete meal packed with vegetables, starch, and protein, and the slightly creamy broth is so soothing.

I like to enjoy this soup with a hunk of crusty bread for dipping, or a batch of homemade garlic knots (if you’ve got the time). I don’t have my own recipe for garlic knots, unfortunately, but there are loads on the internet that don’t require too much time or effort. It’s a great Sunday project if you happen to make this soup over a weekend!

Looking for other cozy soup options from The Ardent Cook?

Chipotle Peanut Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Pepitas

Mom’s Checkerboard Chicken Chili

Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder

Recipe Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

1 medium carrot, diced small

2 stalks celery, diced small

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken stock

1 (14oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup heavy cream (or coconut milk if dairy free)

1 (10oz) package fresh tortellini, filled with chicken and herbs if available

1 bunch tuscan kale, ribbed and sliced into ribbons

1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (about ¼ lemon)

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp crushed red chili flake

Black pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, for serving

Recipe Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Stir until the tomato paste is fully incorporated. Season with the salt, crushed chili flakes, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the carrots have softened.
Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream, stirring constantly while pouring. Add the tortellini and kale, then let cook for the time specified on the package of tortellini (no more than 3-5 minutes for fresh tortellini). Stir in the lemon juice at the very end, then season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese, if using. Serve with crusty bread and a big salad, family style. Enjoy!