side view close up of chicken and dumplings soup in a large dutch garnished with rosemary

Why I love this chicken and dumplings soup

Happy first day of September! It’s a beautiful fall day here, and I’ve been celebrating all day. This morning I actually put on a sweater and drove to my doctor appointment with the windows down and cinnamon coffee in hand.

So now, I’m sharing one of my favorite fall recipes – apple rosemary chicken and dumplings soup. It’s warm, comforting and laced with autumn flavors. I know you’ve been craving fall, too, so you’re welcome.

This recipe is everything I remember about dumplings from when I was a kid, but with a grown-up touch of appley sweetness and aromatic fresh rosemary. The homemade dumplings cook on top of the soup, plumping in the heat of the Dutch oven. Even as an adult, dumplings are still the best part of chicken and dumplings soup, right?

If you like this comforting soup recipe, you have to try this lemon ginger chicken soup, this creamy vegan tomato soup and this minestrone soup recipe.

Searching for more apple recipes? maple bourbon apple tarts / fennel apple salad / cinnamon apples / apple cider sangria / apple pie bars

overhead view of chicken and dumpling soup in a large dutch oven a table top

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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Coconut milk – I made the recipe dairy free by swapping full-fat coconut milk for what would normally be heavy cream, but I’ve also made them with plain, unsweetened almond milk and they’ve turned out just fine, so feel free to substitute as long as it’s unsweetened.
  • Chicken breasts – This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can definitely speed things up by using cut up rotisserie chicken meat. If you do, you’ll just need to simmer the soup long enough to soften the veggies.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

close up of a dumpling on a spoon over a dutch oven full of chicken and dumplings

How to make chicken and dumplings without cream

Sauté the vegetables. Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven to medium high heat. Add the olive oil, chopped veggies and a pinch of salt. Let them cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are translucent and starting to soften.

Simmer the chicken. Place the chicken into the pot and add the liquids, herbs and salt. Cover the pot and bring it to a simmer, letting the chicken cook thoroughly.

Once the chicken is cooked, take out out and either shred or chop it. Then return it to the pot.

Make the dumplings. In a small bowl, whisk the dry dumpling ingredients together. The stir in the coconut milk and water. Mix them until smooth.

Scoop the dumplings into the hot soup – you should make about 8 – 9 dumplings – and cover the pot. Let the dumplings steam in the soup for about 15 minutes, or until they’ve puffed up and are fully cooked through.

overhead view of chicken and dumpling soup in a small bowl

FAQS and tips for making chicken and dumpling soup

  • Should you cover dumplings when cooking? Yes. You need the steam that is created while the soup cooks with the lid on to cook the dumplings. Think of it as baking and steaming the dumplings at the same time.
  • Why are my dumplings not rising? The most likely answer is that your baking powder is no longer active. You can test this by adding a bit of vinegar with your baking powder (in a separate bowl). If it starts to fizz, then it’s still active. If not, you need to replace it.
  • Can you overcook dumplings? Yes. You can overcook your dumplings, but it’s not that easy to over cook them. If you follow the recipe, you should be fine.
side view close up of chicken and dumpling soup garnished with rosemary
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4.50 from 2 votes

Chicken and Dumplings Soup

By: Melissa Belanger
This warm and comforting chicken and dumpling soup is elevated with a hint of apple cider and aromatic, fresh rosemary. Topped with fluffy, moist dumplings that plump as they simmer, this classic soup makes a perfect meal for a cozy autumn evening. 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients 

For the soup:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 cup water, optional
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • Black pepper, to taste

For the dumplings:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 – 1 tablespoon water

Instructions 

  • Whisk together dry dumpling ingredients. Add coconut milk, stir to combine.
  • In a Dutch oven or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high. Brown chicken until it easily releases from pan,  about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Add remaining oil, onion, celery and carrot. Add a pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to release brown bits from pan.
  • Return chicken to pan. Add apple juice, chicken broth, water, rosemary and salt & pepper. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes. Remove and shred chicken. (Reduce heat to low and cover while doing this to prevent liquid loss).
  • Return chicken to pot and drop dumpling mixture in 2 tablespoon scoops. Increase heat to medium, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked.

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 1046mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin C: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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4.50 from 2 votes

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5 Comments

  1. Lauren says:

    4 stars
    The flavor of this was fantastic! I loved the rosemary with the apple juice. I did however have a question about whether or not you use the 1 cup of water, since it’s listed in the ingredients but not the instructions. I went ahead and added it in with the chicken stock and apple juice, but the liquid did seem pretty soupy compared to what I am used to for chicken and dumplings. But that could simply be because my mom’s not-quite-as-heathy version may have flour mixed in with the liquids to thicken it up some. 😉 Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Thank you for bringing that to my attention! I usually like my chicken and dumplings to be a little bit like a soup, but you could totally leave the water out next time if you like it thicker. It’s really a personal preference (and I added that it’s optional to the recipe). I’m glad you liked it though! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Ashley Saint John says:

    Would it be the same amount of cream rather than coconut milk?

    Reply
    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Yes! You could also use half and half.

      Reply
  3. Michelle G. says:

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner the other day and it was so good!! It was so comforting and perfect for chilly day! We’ll definitely be making this again!

    Reply