Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Dumplings | Hearty Comfort (Fluffy Tops, Silky Broth, Cozy Herbs)

Setting the Scene: Steam, Spoons, and a Pot That Feels Like a Hug

The kitchen turns soft and warm as butter melts in the pot and onions relax into sweetness. A swirl of flour turns the stock satiny; thyme and bay send up their herbal halo. Egg noodles go in, curling to tender, and then—star of the show—little clouds of herbed dumpling dough are spooned on top. You cover the pot and wait (no peeking!), and when the lid lifts, pillowy dumplings float like steam-kissed biscuits over a creamy chicken noodle soup that smells like kindness. This is the bowl for snow days, sniffly days, and “let’s all sit down together” days: rich but not heavy, plush with chicken, brightened at the end with parsley and a whisper of lemon so nothing feels weighed down. It’s home, ladled.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients (Serves 6)

Soup base

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into coins
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (for gentle thickening)
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 1 cup whole milk or 1 (12 oz/354 ml) can evaporated milk (ultra-creamy, won’t curdle)
• ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half (optional for extra velvet)
• 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 6 oz (170 g) wide egg noodles
• 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp poultry seasoning (optional, old-school depth)
• 1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice (to finish)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley or dill

Fluffy herb dumplings

• 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, grated or small-diced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or chives/dill)
• ¾ cup buttermilk or whole milk (start with ⅔ cup; add to soft-drop consistency)

Optional add-ins

• 1 cup peas (stir in at the end)
• Pinch red pepper flakes for warmth
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan (stir into soup just before serving for savory depth)

Tools

• 5–6 qt Dutch oven or heavy soup pot with lid
• Whisk, wooden spoon, ladle
• Mixing bowl & fork for dumplings
• Tongs and cutting board
• Measuring cups/spoons, microplane (for lemon)

How to Make It

Build the Silky Base (Flavor First, Then Flour)

Set a Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt butter with olive oil; add onion, celery, and carrots with a pinch of salt. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until glossy and sweet but not browned. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle ⅓ cup flour over the vegetables; cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty. Whisk in about 1 cup stock until smooth, then add remaining stock, milk/evaporated milk, thyme, bay, ½ tsp salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning if using.

Slip in the chicken and bring just to a gentle simmer—lazy bubbles, not a boil. Partially cover and cook 10–14 minutes (breasts on the short side, thighs a bit longer), until the chicken is just cooked through. Transfer chicken to a board to rest 5 minutes, then shred into hearty pieces.

Noodles with Bite (Then Creamy Balance)

Return the soup to a lively simmer. Add egg noodles and cook 2 minutes less than package time—noodles keep cooking under dumplings. Stir in cream if using. Taste and adjust seasoning; this is the moment to balance salt and pepper before the dumplings go on.

Stir, Drop, and Don’t Peek: The Dumpling Moment

In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Work in the cold butter with fingertips until the mix looks like damp sand with a few pea-sized bits. Stir in herbs. Add buttermilk/milk and mix with a fork just until a soft, sticky dough forms—think drop-biscuit consistency.

Reduce the soup to a gentle simmer (not boiling). Using two spoons, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the surface, spacing slightly—they’ll puff. You should get 10–12 dumplings. Cover tightly and cook 10 minutes without lifting the lid (steam inflates dumplings). Uncover, flip dumplings gently, and cook 3–4 minutes more uncovered to set the tops and keep the broth from over-thickening.

Finish Bright & Glossy

Return the shredded chicken (and any juices) to the pot, slipping pieces between dumplings. Stir in parsley/dill, lemon juice (start with 1 tsp; add more to taste), and peas if using. The soup should look plush and lightly creamy, with dumplings puffed and tender and noodles just right.

Serve: Ladle broth, noodles, and chicken into warm bowls, then nestle 1–2 dumplings on top. Crack black pepper, add a tuft of herbs, maybe a microplane kiss of Parmesan if that’s your love language.

How to Make It (Thematic Steps & Tiny Techniques)

Poach, Don’t Boil

Hard boiling tightens chicken fibers and toughens noodles. A gentle simmer keeps meat silky and broth clear. Resting chicken before shredding locks in juices so the soup tastes rich without extra cream.

Roux Restraint

A short flour cook erases raw taste; adding stock gradually prevents lumps and yields that diner-smooth, spoon-coating texture—creamy, not gravy-thick.

Dumpling Discipline

Steam is your leavening partner. Once the lid’s on, don’t peek for 10 minutes or the dumplings may deflate. Dough should be sticky-soft; dry dough makes heavy dumplings.

Noodle Timing = Great Leftovers

Undercook noodles slightly today. If planning ahead, cook noodles separately and add to bowls before ladling hot soup over—no swollen, soggy strands tomorrow.

Creative Twists (Make It Your Signature)

• Chicken & Herb Matzo-Dumpling Hybrid: Skip baking powder; use seasoned matzo-ball mix shaped small, simmered in salted water, then floated onto the creamy soup.
• Biscuit Topper Shortcuts: Use 1 cup self-rising flour + ¾ cup buttermilk for the dumplings; or drop pieces of refrigerated biscuit dough directly on the simmering soup (cook covered 10–12 minutes).
• Mushroom–Thyme Depth: Sauté 8 oz sliced cremini with the aromatics until deeply browned; add a splash of sherry before stock.
• Lemon–Dill Spring: Add zest of 1 lemon to the dumpling dough and finish the soup with extra dill, peas, and asparagus tips.
• Southwest Cozy: Swap thyme for ½ tsp cumin + ½ tsp smoked paprika; finish with corn, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
• Rotisserie Shortcut: Stir in 3–4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken after the dumplings cook—dinner hits the table faster.
• Gluten-Free Path: Use GF 1:1 flour for the roux, GF noodles, and dumplings made with 1½ cups GF blend + 2 tsp GF baking powder; batter may need an extra tablespoon of milk.
• Dairy-Light: Skip cream; use evaporated milk only. Finish with a tablespoon of olive oil for sheen and body.

Troubleshooting (Before You Lift the Lid)

• Dumplings dense? Dough too dry or lid lifted early. Next time, add 1–2 tsp more milk for a softer drop and commit to the 10-minute steam.
• Soup too thick? Whisk in warm stock or milk, 2–3 tbsp at a time.
• Curdled look? Heat got too high after dairy; take off heat and whisk in a splash of cold cream or evaporated milk to bring it back together.
• Bland? Salt lifts cream; lemon brightens. Add a pinch of salt and ½ tsp lemon, taste, repeat.
• Noodles too soft? They stayed under the lid too long; next time, drop dumplings as soon as noodles are just shy of al dente.

Nutritional Spotlight (Per serving, ~1/6 recipe with evaporated milk + ½ cup cream)

Using evaporated milk creates lush body so you can keep cream modest while still getting that cozy, spoon-clinging finish.

Final Inspiration: A Pot That Feeds and Soothes

There’s a certain hush that follows the first bite—the dumpling breaks like soft bread into the creamy broth, the noodles twirl, the chicken tastes like it’s been cared for. This Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Dumplings earns a permanent spot in the winter repertoire because it’s generous and grounding, the kind of dinner that invites a second ladle and makes tomorrow’s lunch feel luxurious.

Memorize the rhythm—sauté, roux, poach, noodles, drop-and-steam, finish bright—and you’ll have a bowl that turns ordinary evenings into something quietly celebratory. Add a green salad if you like, or pass warm biscuits and call it a feast. Either way, expect empty bowls and contented silence—the sweetest compliment a cook can get.