This creamy chicken and dumpling soup is a cozy one-pot dinner made with tender shredded chicken, leeks, fresh dill dumplings, and a crispy pancetta topping. It comes together in a little over an hour and brings classic comfort food flavor with a richer, elevated twist.
JUMP TO RECIPEI love taking classic comfort-food recipes and giving them a little something extra without making them fussy, and this Chicken and Dumpling soup is one of my favorite examples. I tested this recipe with bone-in chicken, fresh dill dumplings, and rendered, crispy pancetta for a rich and savory broth with light and fluffy dumplings.
If you love classic Chicken and Dumplings, you'll love this super satisfying soup!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Dumpling Soup Recipe
- Ingredients for Chicken and Dumpling Soup with Dill and Pancetta
- Tips for the Best Chicken and Dumpling Soup
- Recipe Notes and Easy Swaps
- Tools for This Chicken and Dumpling Soup
- How to make Chicken and Dumpling Soup with Dill and Pancetta
- FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
- How to Store Chicken and Dumpling Soup
- How to Reheat Chicken and Dumpling Soup
- Serving Suggestions
- More Great Soup Recipes
Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Dumpling Soup Recipe
Dilly Homemade Dumplings. This recipe uses a simple and delicious drop dumpling recipe, for fresh dill dumplings that stay light and fluffy
Crispy Pancetta Topping. If you are a firm believer that bacon makes everything better, this soup is for you! Crispy pancetta adds extra savory flavor to the broth, and doubles as a crispy topping for the finished soup.
One Pot Recipe. An elevated one-pot chicken and dumpling soup that feels special enough for Sunday dinner, but is easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients for Chicken and Dumpling Soup with Dill and Pancetta
A few choice ingredients make this chicken and dumpling soup stand out from a more standard version. Bone-in chicken thighs give the broth extra richness, leeks add a subtle sweetness, fresh dill keeps the dumplings bright and flavorful, and pancetta adds both savory depth and a crisp topping.
Meats
Diced pancetta (aka Italian style bacon). I use pancetta for the soup because it gives the broth an extra savory broth, and the crispy bits on top add texture that classic chicken and dumpling soup usually doesn’t have. I use store bought pre-cubed pancetta for this recipe- since they render down to tiny bite sized pieces, kind of like elevated bacon bits. If you cant find pancetta, you could also use about 4 slices of thick cut bacon, cut into smaller pieces.
Chicken thighs. I simmer bone in chicken thighs right in the soup for this recipe. The simmering helps to infuse the broth with extra flavor, and richness. If you leave the skin on, you may need to skim excess fat from the top of the broth prior to adding the dumplings.
Aromatics
Leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic. These aromatics give the soup lots of flavor, from the slightly sweet an delicate flavor of the fresh chopped leeks, to the classic combo of carrots and celery. Pro tip for working with leeks: clean them very well, and remove to tough green tops. Leeks tend to harbor a lot of dirt inside, so I like to cut the tops off, slice them lengthwise, and run the layers under cool running water to make sure they're super clean before slicing into thin slices.
Fresh dill. This adds a bright pop of flavor to both the finished soup and the fluffy dumplings.
Dumplings
Flour and baking powder. These ingredients will serve as the base for the dumplings, and the baking powder give them their fluffy factor, so be sure to whisk them together well until fully incorporated.
Buttermilk and heavy cream. The dumpling recipe for this soup use a blend of heavy cream and buttermilk to keep them from getting too dense, as well as give them an extra bit of tanginess from the buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can use regular milk, or make your own buttermilk by mixing ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with ½ cup whole milk, and letting stand for 5 minutes.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Dumpling Soup
How do I keep dumplings fluffy? Mix the dough just until combined and simmer gently. If you over mix, the dumplings can develop too much gluten, and become tough and dense. Keep the lid on, and resist the urge to keep peaking while the dumplings cook and puff up in the broth so they come out nice and fluffy.
Why did my dumplings fall apart? Make sure the soup is simmering, not boiling, before adding them. If the heat is too high, it can cause the dumplings to fall apart while cooking.
Can I use rotisserie chicken? Yes! Just be sure to stir it in just before cooking the dumplings, so it stays tender and doesn't fall apart.
Recipe Notes and Easy Swaps
Use leftover chicken instead! You can add pre-cooked, shredded chicken, such as rotisserie chicken, instead of cooking the thighs right in the pot. Add at the end of cooking, just before cooking the dumplings so it retains its texture.
Use fresh dill. Fresh dill imparts a subtle, herb infused flavor to the soup an dumplings. Using dry could be overpowering, so I would not recommend swapping. If you like, you could swap for fresh flat leaf parsley instead.
Soup consistency. If you prefer a slightly thicker soup, let it simmer a few extra minutes before adding the dumplings. For a brothy soup, stir in a bit of extra broth or stock before serving.
Tools for This Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Dutch oven: The heat retention helps maintain a steady, gentle simmer for fluffy dumplings.
Mixing bowl and spatula: Makes quick work of the dumpling dough, without over-mixing.
Cookie scoop, or 2 spoons: Great for portioning even dumplings so they cook evenly.
How to make Chicken and Dumpling Soup with Dill and Pancetta
Below is a step by step visual guide to getting the perfect chicken and dumpling soup, with visual and sensory cues.
Chicken and Dumpling Soup with Dill and Pancetta
Equipment
- large soup pot or Dutch oven, with lid
- large mixing bowl, for dumplings
- Whisk, spatula, wooden spoon, spoons or cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 4 oz diced pancetta, such as Citterio Cubetti
- 2 medium leeks, tough green parts removed, cleaned, and sliced thinly
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 3 ribs celery, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 ½ lbs bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
Dill Dumplings
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ½ cup buttermilk, (may sub whole milk)
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Add pancetta to a cold soup pot or Dutch oven and set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until crisp 10-15 minutes. 2. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels . Leave 2 tablespoon rendered fat in the pan (if it’s a little less, that’s OK). 3. Bring heat to medium. Add the leeks, carrots and celery and cook 5 -7 minutes, until slightly softened. 4. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. 5. Add fresh thyme sprigs, chopped dill and dried oregano, and stir to combine. Add in the butter and melt. Add flour and stir well to incorporate. Cook 1 minute. 6. Slowly add chicken stock, stirring to combine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits/fond from the bottom of the pot. Bring pot to a boil over high heat and add chicken thighs and salt. 7. Cook the chicken over medium heat, covered until fully cooked (about 15-20 minutes). Chicken should register 180 degrees. 8. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot & carefully shred it with two forks. Add meat back to soup, and discard the bones and skin (if using). 9. Remove thyme sprigs and discard. 10. Add heavy cream to the pot and bring to a boil. Taste for salt and pepper, and season to taste. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a bare simmer. At this point, of you see any excess fat forming on the edges of the broth, gently skim it off with a pale or spoon. Preparing the dumplings 1. While the chicken cooks, prepare the dumplings mixture. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, chopped dill, and salt, and whisk to combine. 2. Pour in the buttermilk and heavy cream, and fold the ingredients into each other with a silicone spatula until a dough forms. It may look a little dry at first, but it will come together. Avoid over mixing, or the dough can become tough and chewy. 3. To drop the dough, use a small cookie scoop or 2 spoons to form roughly 1 tablespoon-sized dumplings, dropping the dumplings into the pot one by one, with a bit of space around them so they don’t stick together. 4. Once all the dumplings have been added to the pot, cover with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the dumplings are puffed, matte on the top, and no longer wet in the center. 5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy pancetta additional chopped dill (if desired).
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I make chicken and dumpling soup ahead of time?
You can make the soup a day or so ahead of time. If planning ahead, I would recommend waiting to prepare and add the dumplings until ready to serve, since they can become a little denser as they soak up the broth. Just bring the soup to a gentle simmer to warm through, and proceed with the recipe to make the dumplings.
Can you overcook the dumplings?
Unfortunately, you can. While you shouldn't pop the lid, be sure to be conscious of the timing to avoid overcooking them, which can result in broken apart dumplings.
Can the soup be frozen?
While I wish I could say yes, I would not recommend storing this soup in the freezer, as it contains cream, which could break, and the dumplings would disintegrate.
Why are my dumplings dense instead of fluffy?
Dense dumplings are typically caused by over mixing the dough, or cooking in broth that is boiling instead of gently simmering.
How to Store Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Store any leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Leftover dumplings will absorb some broth as the soup sits in the fridge, causing the soup to thicken a bit. Add a splash of stock when reheating to loosen it back up.
If you like, you could also prepare a half batch of dumplings, then make new dumplings for the next night your serve the soup to keep them nice and fluffy.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken and dumpling soup is great with crusty bread, garlic bread, or a simple green salad with a tangy vinaigrette to balance the creamy, rich broth.
More Great Soup Recipes
Use up that leftover chicken in the fridge with my Easy and Comforting Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup!
Try my easy, creamy Chicken Poblano Soup!
Try my light and delicious Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup with Leeks!
Use up your leftover holiday ham bone with my easy Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup!
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