Quick Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Chop your onion, carrot, and celery first to get this simple soup moving quickly. I always find a warm bowl of chicken and dumplings hits the spot when you want a proper meal but only have half an hour to spare. This version uses a quick drop-batter for the dumplings, so you do not have to spend time rolling or shaping dough. It relies on a good, rich stock and a simple mirepoix base to build a deep flavour in minutes. It is comforting, fast, and uses basic larder ingredients you likely already have.
Quick Overview
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 10.6 oz (300g) chicken breast, cut into thin strips or small cubes
- 33.8 fl oz (1 litre) good quality chicken stock
- 3.5 oz (100g) plain flour
- 1 medium egg
- 1-1.4 fl oz (30-40ml) water or milk (approx. 2-3 tbsp)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley, to garnish
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent and smell sweet.
- Stir in the cut chicken breast pieces. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat loses its raw pink colour, turns opaque white on the outside, and is cooked through.
- Pour the chicken stock into the pan and turn the heat up to bring it to a boil. Once bubbling, lower the heat so the liquid maintains a gentle, steady simmer with small bubbles breaking the surface.
- While the stock simmers, prepare the dumplings: in a medium bowl, mix the flour with the egg and the water or milk. Add a pinch of salt and stir with a fork just until you have a soft, sticky dough.
- Using two teaspoons, scoop small, teaspoon-sized portions of the dough and drop them directly into the simmering stock, using one spoon to slide the mixture off the other. Continue until all the dough is used; they will expand quickly.
- Continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes, or until the dumplings float to the top and look plump and tender. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve the soup hot, garnished with plenty of fresh chopped parsley.
Where It Can Go Wrong
Heavy, tough dumplings: If you overmix the batter, the gluten develops too much and the dumplings turn out like lead. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until they are just combined.
Dissolving dumplings: If your stock is boiling too violently, the rough movement will break the delicate dough apart. Keep the liquid at a gentle, low simmer so they set gently.
Doughy middles: Dropping huge spoonfuls of batter into the pot means the outside cooks while the middle stays raw. Keep the portions small—about the size of a hazelnut—as they double in size as they cook.
Swaps and Variations
- Use leftover roast chicken or shredded turkey instead of raw chicken breast. Stir it in just before adding the stock to warm it through.
- Switch up the herbs. If you do not have fresh parsley, a bit of chopped fresh tarragon or coriander (known as cilantro in the US) works beautifully with chicken.
- Add a splash of double cream (heavy cream in the US) right at the end of cooking for a richer, creamier broth.
- Throw in some extra veg like frozen peas or sweetcorn with the stock to boost the vegetable content.
Serving & Leftovers
This soup is a complete meal on its own, but you can serve it alongside crusty bread or toasted croutons. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The dumplings will absorb a lot of the liquid as they sit, so you will need to add a splash of extra stock or water when you reheat it. Warm it gently in a saucepan over a medium-low heat until the chicken is hot all the way through. This dish does not freeze well, as the dumplings become soggy and lose their structure upon thawing.
