Chicken and Dumplings Soup with Buttermilk Dumplings

Name: Chicken and Dumplings Soup with Buttermilk Dumplings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 1 min
Total time: 1 h 31 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 lb (about 6 thighs) (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted very dry; 1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tbsp (14 ml) olive oil; 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice; 3 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 3 ribs (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery ribs, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, minced; 3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or cold; 2 cups (475 ml) water; 4 sprigs (4 g) fresh thyme sprigs, whole; 2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, dried; ½ cup (75 g) frozen peas, no need to thaw; 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (optional); 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1½ g) baking soda; ¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 3 tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 3 tbsp (12 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, divided: 1 tbsp for the dough, 2 tbsp for serving; 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, cold, shaken well

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A cozy, from-scratch pot of tender bone-in chicken thighs, carrots, and celery in a lightly thickened, savory broth, topped with fluffy buttermilk dumplings that steam right on the soup. Everything cooks on the stovetop in one heavy pot.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 1 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 36 min
Makes: About 3 quarts (6 large bowls), with 12 dumplings

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
2 lb (about 6 thighs) (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted very dry
1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tbsp (14 ml) olive oil
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice
3 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
3 ribs (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery ribs, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or cold
2 cups (475 ml) water
4 sprigs (4 g) fresh thyme sprigs, whole
2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, dried
½ cup (75 g) frozen peas, no need to thaw
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (optional)
For the dumplings
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1.5 g) baking soda
¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground
3 tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
3 tbsp (12 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, divided: 1 tbsp for the dough, 2 tbsp for serving
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, cold, shaken well

Equipment (10)

6-quart (5.7 L) heavy-bottomed pot or casserole with a tight-fitting lid, about 11 inches (28 cm) wide
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Wooden spoon
Tongs
Instant-read thermometer
Cutting board and chef's knife
Two forks for shredding
Tablespoon or medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) for the dumplings
Toothpick for testing the dumplings

Steps

Before you start

Pat the chicken dry and let it sit out for 15 minutes while you chop the vegetables; dry chicken browns better.
Keep the buttermilk and the butter for the dumplings in the fridge until the moment you need them. Cold fat and cold buttermilk make tender, fluffy dumplings.
You need a pot with a tight-fitting lid, about 6 quarts (5.7 L) and 11 inches (28 cm) wide, so all 12 dumplings sit on the surface with room to puff.
This is a stovetop-only recipe; no oven is needed.
The dumplings must steam covered and undisturbed for 15 minutes, so have everything else ready before you drop them in.

1
Brown the chicken
- Season both sides of the dry chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and the black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart (5.7 L) heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Place the thighs skin-side down in a single layer and cook without moving them for 5 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases easily.
- Flip and cook the second side for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- The chicken will not be cooked through yet.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden brown and lifts from the pot without sticking.
Tip: Work in two batches if the thighs touch; crowding makes them steam instead of brown.
2
Soften the vegetables
- Carefully pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, leaving the browned bits behind.
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the butter, onion, carrots, celery, and the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon and scraping up the browned bits, for 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables begin to soften.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and the carrots look slightly glossy, with no browning.
Tip: If the vegetables start to brown, lower the heat; browned bits will darken the broth.
3
Toast garlic and flour
- Add the garlic, thyme sprigs, and the 3 tablespoons flour to the vegetables.
- Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic smells fragrant and no dry flour is visible.
- The mixture will look like a thick, pasty coating on the vegetables.
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Ready when: Raw-flour smell is gone, and the vegetables are evenly coated.
4
Add broth and chicken
- Pour in the broth about 1 cup (240 ml) at a time, stirring or whisking well after each addition and scraping the bottom of the pot so the flour dissolves without lumps.
- Add the water and bay leaves.
- Nestle the chicken thighs, with any juices from the plate, into the liquid.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a gentle boil, about 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Liquid is bubbling steadily around the edges of the pot.
Tip: Adding the broth gradually is what keeps the soup smooth rather than lumpy.
5
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently, set the lid ajar, and cook for 25 minutes.
- Skim off any foam from the surface.
- Check a thigh with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone.
- It should read at least 175°F (80°C) for tender, easy-to-shred meat.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 175°F (80°C) and the meat pulls easily from the bone; the soup has thickened slightly.
Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil makes the chicken stringy.
6
Shred the chicken
- Turn the heat to low.
- Use tongs to move the thighs to a cutting board and let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Discard the skin and bones, along with the thyme stems and bay leaves from the pot.
- Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces with two forks, then stir it back into the soup.
- Taste the broth and add more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Meat falls apart in tender shreds with no pink remaining.
Tip: Loose thyme leaves are fine to leave in the soup.
7
Mix the dumpling dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the dough flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine salt, and dough pepper.
- Add the cold cubed butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of small peas.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of the parsley.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with a fork about 10 times, just until a shaggy, sticky dough forms with no dry flour left.
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Ready when: Dough is thick, sticky, and slightly lumpy, with no dry patches.
Tip: Do not overmix; a smooth, kneaded dough makes tough, dense dumplings.
8
Steam the dumplings
- Raise the heat to medium so the soup is at a steady, gentle simmer (small bubbles breaking across the surface).
- Drop 12 heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the surface, spacing them about ½ inch (1.25 cm) apart.
- Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes.
- Do not lift the lid for the first 12 minutes.
- Then test a dumpling by inserting a toothpick into its center.
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Ready when: Dumplings are doubled in size, look dry and set on top, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Tip: Lifting the lid lets steam escape and can leave dumplings gummy in the center.
9
Finish and serve
- Scatter the frozen peas over the soup, cover, and turn off the heat.
- Let the soup rest for 5 minutes so the peas warm through and the broth settles.
- Stir in the lemon juice, if using, taking care not to break up the dumplings.
- Ladle into bowls, giving each person 2 dumplings, and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.
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Ready when: Peas are bright green and hot; the broth coats the back of a spoon.
Tip: Serve right away. The dumplings keep absorbing broth as they sit.

Good to know

Tips

Use low-sodium broth so you can control the salt; the soup reduces slightly and the dumplings add salt too.
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer when the dumplings are in. A rolling boil can break them apart and make the bottoms gummy.
Wet the spoon or scoop between dumplings if the dough sticks to it.
For a thicker, stew-like soup, simmer it uncovered for 5 extra minutes before adding the dumplings.

Make ahead

Make the soup through step 6 up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it, covered. Rewarm it to a gentle simmer, then make and steam the dumplings fresh (steps 7 to 9) so they stay fluffy.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; the dumplings will soften and absorb broth. Freezer: the soup base without dumplings freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or water to loosen it, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C). Reheat dumplings in the soup, not in the microwave alone.

Substitutions

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken thighs (same weight). Skip the skin-side browning, sear 2 minutes per side, and simmer only 15 to 20 minutes until they reach 175°F (80°C). The broth will be slightly less rich.
buttermilk → 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, rested 5 minutes. Dumplings will be a bit less tangy but still tender.
fresh thyme sprigs → 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Add it with the garlic; there are no sprigs to remove.
unsalted butter → cold vegetable shortening. Use the same amount, cut in the same way, for slightly softer dumplings.