Description
A comforting and hearty Chicken and Dumplings recipe featuring tender shredded chicken simmered in a flavorful broth with fresh vegetables and fluffy homemade dumplings.
Ingredients
Scale
Savory Base
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 12 oz (1 can) evaporated milk
- 32 oz (1 quart) chicken stock
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ¾ cup (6 oz) whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter (melted)
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, matchstick carrots, and diced celery. Cook until the vegetables are softened, then stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute to release its aroma.
- Create the Base: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the cooked vegetables and stir well to coat. Gradually pour in the evaporated milk and chicken stock while stirring constantly to avoid lumps, forming a smooth broth mixture.
- Simmer Soup: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and add shredded cooked chicken, fresh or dried thyme, freshly cracked black pepper, and salt to taste. Let it simmer gently while preparing the dumplings.
- Prepare Dumpling Dough: In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, black pepper, salt, and thyme. Add the whole milk and melted butter, mixing everything together until a soft dough forms.
- Cook Dumplings: Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the simmering chicken soup. Cover the pot with a lid and let the dumplings cook over simmering heat for about 15 minutes without lifting the lid, allowing them to steam and puff up.
- Finish and Serve: Check the dumplings for doneness—they should be cooked through and fluffy. Adjust seasoning if needed, and serve the chicken and dumplings hot for a comforting meal.
Notes
- Shredded cooked chicken can be from rotisserie or leftover roasted chicken.
- For a richer flavor, fresh thyme is recommended, but dried thyme works well too.
- Don’t lift the lid during dumpling cooking to ensure proper steaming.
- Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more chicken stock if it is too thick after adding dumplings.
- Use whole milk for the best texture in dumplings; you can substitute with 2% milk if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
