Grandma’s Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Savory chicken soup with dumplings always works its magic to soothe and comfort, especially on chilly days. It’s easy to make your own soup from scratch, and the taste can’t be beat.

Fluffy dumplings add a delightful texture to this classic soup that is full of chicken and vegetables. Enjoy it alongside a sandwich or salad, or treat yourself to a big, meal-sized bowl with a thick slice of bread. Either way, this homemade chicken soup will wrap you up in warmth, just like Grandma’s hugs!

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What Is Chicken Soup with Dumplings?

Soup is one of the oldest cooked foods in the history of mankind. The earliest soup can be traced back to 20,000 BC in Xianrendong Cave in China. There, excavated pottery shows scorch marks. These were attributed to the cooking of soup over an open fire.

Chicken soup, in particular, is a favorite around the world and has been since chickens were domesticated in Asia 7,000 – 10,000 years ago. The nutrition gained from the boiling of bones with herbs and vegetables earned this dish the title of being a healing food.

Our recipe is a time-honored classic, taught to me by my grandmother, who learned to cook it from her mother. It is a from-scratch recipe that is best created with homemade chicken stock, but can be made in a pinch with canned or packaged broth or stock. Fresh vegetables and leftover meat from roast chicken bring soothing delight to all who eat it, especially when made with dumplings.

What Are Dumplings?

There are so many different kinds of dumplings out there. It seems that every culture has its own type, but when it comes down to it, a dumpling is cooked dough that can be stuffed or unstuffed.

These dumplings are the unstuffed variety. They are very basic, consisting of just a few ingredients: flour, egg, milk, and salt and pepper. But in spite of that, making them is a bit of an art. Grandma used to tell me that none of her sisters were able to duplicate her dumplings. She said the secret behind mastering dumplings was just a matter of patience. It took time to get the dough just right… and her sisters apparently had no patience!

Do You Have Any Tips or Tricks?

Yes!

• Always, always, always try to use your own chicken stock when you make chicken soup. If you don’t have time to roast your own, pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store to use.
• The seasonings I list here are what I use when I make my own stock from a roasted chicken. My stock already has flavor from the cooked chicken, so you may have to use more seasoning than I do. Let your taste buds be your guide.
• If you like softer vegetables, let them cook in the broth for a while before adding the meat.
• Consider the first few dumplings as test subjects. Make them small and watch to see what happens when you drop them in the soup. If they come up as strings, add more flour.
• This soup can be frozen. Let it cool off, then place in a Ziploc freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to three months.

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Directions

• In a large stock pot, combine chicken stock or broth, onion, celery, carrots, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and the bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until carrots and celery soften.
  
• Add chicken to pot. Place a lid on the pot and continue to simmer for at least 15 minutes. If you like softer vegetables in your soup, you can let it simmer longer. Remember to taste it occasionally and adjust your seasonings as needed.
• While the soup is simmering, make the dumpling dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and egg. The dough should be thick and pasty.
• Bring soup to a boil. Drop a tablespoon of dough into the boiling soup. I use my finger to swipe the dough quickly, otherwise it sticks to the spoon and doesn’t form as well. It should drop to the bottom of the pot.
• Keep an eye on the pot. After about 30 seconds, the dumpling should float to the surface. Sometimes they get stuck under the other soup ingredients, so I u0022go fishingu0022 with a slotted spoon. The dumpling should form a fluffy ball. If you see strings of dough, add more flour to the dumpling dough and try again. Remember, this is the part that takes patience!
• Once your dumpling dough is giving you the right results, continue to add dough by tablespoons to the boiling soup. After you’ve made all your dumplings, place the lid on the pot. Simmer for at least ten minutes to allow the dumplings to absorb all the yummy flavors of your delicious soup!

Looking for More Soup Recipes?

• Try our Creamy Pumpkin Soup for all the best flavors of fall
• If you like spicy foods, our Turkey Gumbo will have you bellowing, “Ayyyyeeeeeee!”
• Split Pea Soup is a great way to repurpose a holiday ham bone after the feast

Grandma’s Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Recipe by Chicken Soup with DumplingsCourse: Sides, SoupsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Savory, flavorful chicken soup with dumplings, just like Grandma used to make!

Ingredients

• For Soup

• 4 quarts chicken stock or broth

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced

• 2 teaspoons garlic salt

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 cups cooked chicken pieces

• For Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 egg

• 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

• In a large stock pot, combine chicken stock or broth, onion, celery, carrots, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and the bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until carrots and celery soften.
• Add chicken to pot. Place a lid on the pot and continue to simmer for at least 15 minutes.
• While the soup is simmering, make the dumpling dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and egg. The dough should be a thick and pasty.
• Bring soup to a boil. Drop a tablespoon of dumpling dough into the boiling soup.
• After about 30 seconds, the dumpling should float to the surface, but it may become stuck under other ingredients. The dumpling should have formed a fluffy ball. If it formed strings, add more flour to the dough and try again.
• Continue to drop tablespoons of dough into the boiling soup.
• Place the lid on the pot. Simmer for at least ten minutes to allow dumplings to absorb flavors from the soup.

Notes

• If you’d like dumplings with more flavor, substitute about 1/4 of the milk with liquid from your soup!

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