Chicken Soup with Dumplings
A crowd-pleasing chicken built around chicken bones and carcass, chicken feet and carrots — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Rinse the chicken bones and feet, place them in a large pot and cover with the cold water. Bring slowly to a simmer and skim off the foam that rises during the first 10 minutes.
- Add the halved onion, one whole carrot, the leek, celery and bay leaf, then simmer very gently, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours; an added ice cube near the end helps the fat congeal at the edge for easy skimming.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discard the solids, and return the clear broth to the pot; dice the remaining carrot and simmer it in the broth until just tender.
- For the dumplings, whisk the eggs with the milk and parsley, season with salt and pepper, then beat in the flour to a thick, sticky batter and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and drop in small spoonfuls of the batter, dipping the spoon in the hot broth between each so the dumplings slide off cleanly.
- Simmer the dumplings for 6 to 8 minutes, until they float and are cooked through to the centre, taking care not to let the broth boil hard.
- Season the soup to taste, ladle the broth and dumplings into warm bowls and finish with a scatter of fresh parsley.
You'll use: Large pot · Saucepan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Chicken Soup with Dumplings take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of eggs?
Try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Chicken Soup with Dumplings is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Liat Portal for Foodie Disorder - Vegetable Soup with Chicken Dumplings.jpg by HaJunkiyada, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.