4.9 from 156 votes
Easy Healthy Chicken and Dumplings
Easy Healthy Chicken and Dumplings is a comforting soup combining sautéed vegetables, shredded chicken, and herbs in a flavorful broth, topped with light, tender dumplings made from a biscuit-like dough. The stew is gently cooked to meld flavors and produce soft dumplings that soak up the broth.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings:
6
Calories:
342 kcal
Course:
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine:
American
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.
Cup of Yum
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
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%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 342
% 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.