Easy Healthy Chicken and Dumplings
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
342 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
American
Easy Healthy Chicken and Dumplings
Description
The recipe starts with sautéing onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in olive oil to develop a vegetable base. Flour is sprinkled in to lightly thicken the soup, followed by herbs like thyme and bay leaf, and then chicken broth is added. The mixture simmers until vegetables are tender, after which cooked chicken, fresh parsley, and lemon juice are stirred in for brightness and protein.
Dumplings are prepared separately by combining flour, baking powder, salt, pepper with wet ingredients buttermilk, egg, and melted butter just until combined to ensure a light texture. The dumpling dough is dropped by spoonfuls onto the simmering soup. Gentle simmering—not boiling—cooks the dumplings through without breaking them apart.
This hearty soup combines tender vegetables and chicken with fluffy dumplings, creating a satisfying meal that can serve as a wholesome lunch or dinner. The fresh herbs and lemon juice lift the flavors, adding balance to the rich broth and dumplings.
To make the dumplings light, avoid over-mixing the dough. If you lack buttermilk, it can be made by adding lemon juice to milk and letting it sit briefly. Prevent opening the lid while dumplings cook to allow proper steaming. For creamier texture, milk or half and half can be stirred in as desired.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped, large, yellow
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons thyme fresh or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 3 cups chicken diced or shredded cooked or rotisserie; or turkey
- ¼ cup parsley chopped, fresh
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt Kosher salt and freshly ground
- black pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground
Dumplings:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6-8 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 egg large
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat and add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sautè the vegetables until they start to soften, 3-4. Add the garlic and cook another minutes until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook 1-2 minutes, until flour is a pale golden brown. Then add the thyme, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer until the vegetables are cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked chicken, parsley, and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the dumplings, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Stir 6 tablespoons buttermilk, the egg and melted butter together in a second bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together with a spatula until just combined (don't over-mix the dough). Add an additional tablespoon or two of buttermilk if needed to form a moist and spongy dough.
- Lower the heat on the stove so that the soup is at a low simmer. Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, drop balls of the dumpling dough into the lightly simmering soup. Each dumpling should be about two teaspoons big- they will expand in the soup. Spoon a little of the soup over each dumpling to moisten them.
- Cover the pot and cook until the dumplings are firm and cooked through, 18-20 minutes. Try to avoid uncovering the pot- this will help the dumplings steam and retain their moisture. Garnish chicken and dumplings with chopped parsley and/or thyme and plenty of black pepper.
Notes
- Use homemade or store-bought buttermilk; if unavailable, mix 1½ teaspoons lemon juice into ½ cup milk and let rest 5-10 minutes before using.
- Gently stir dumpling ingredients just until combined to keep them fluffy and avoid toughness.
- Simmer the soup gently instead of boiling after adding dumplings to prevent them from breaking apart.
- Keep the pot covered while dumplings cook to ensure even steaming and moisture retention.
- Add ¼ to ½ cup whole milk or half and half for a creamier soup if desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 342 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 serving | |
| Calories | 342kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 31g | 62% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 94mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 380mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 709mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 4022IU | 80% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 121mg | 12% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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