I’ve never made Chicken n Dumplins soup at home before. This recipe was an amalgamation of what I had on hand and reminiscing flavors of dishes I’ve eaten once before. While this may be called “Cheater Chicken n Dumplins Soup” the only place we’re cheating on is the dumplings and replacing them with gnocchi. The rest of the recipe is an elevated nod to the classic with a little deviation on approach. If you’re looking for more soup recipes, check out our soup archive here!
The best thing about this cheater chicken n dumplins soup is that it uses one pan and a host of leftovers. The combination of what I had on hand at the time of this recipe creation just so happened to fit the bill of “clean out the fridge from Wednesday’s chicken dinner” and “oh- I have gnocchi in the freezer, lemme throw that in too”.
This cheater chicken n dumplins really is better than whatever I’ve had out and about. A few purists out there would be offended by the use of gnocchi instead of hand-made dumplins, but we don’t have time for that. We want to throw our leftovers into the pot, let it meld together all day, then when it’s time to eat, add some gnocchi and call it dinner.
Also, I know it should go without saying it but I’m gonna say it anyhow: soup is always better the next day. My recommendation is that you make this soup the night before and then reheat the next day for true soup perfection.
I mean this is good regardless if you want to eat it the same day, but if you really want that perfect soup experience, then next day it!
I also like this recipe because it’s generally one I plan for when I am making fresh chicken stock and when I’m doing a double spatchcock chicken meaning I have tons of chicken and bones left over for the perfect leftover meal.
Without further ado, the recipe.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Onion diced
- 4 celery stalks sliced
- 1 cup carrot shreds
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup cream cheese*
- 3 stalks sage, oregano, thyme, bay leaf tied together in a bouquet
- 2 large breasts of leftover chicken shredded
- 8 stamens saffron freshly ground
- 1 tsp salt & pepper plus more as needed.
- 1-1.5 packages of gnocchi
- leftover parmesan cheese rinds
- 1 tbsp dried tarragon
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In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm you olive oil. When warmed, add onions and saute until softened. About 5 minutes. Add garlic and celery and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add carrots.
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Slowly pour in a cup of chicken broth and scrape the bottom of your pan to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When incorporated into the chicken broth, add the remainder of the chicken broth.
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Add cream cheese and stir together to incorporate it.
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Add in your shredded chicken, herb bundle, saffron, salt and pepper. Stir.
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If you are using leftover parmesan cheese rinds, add that now and dried tarragon.
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Cover the pot and let simmer on medium-low for half an hour.
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Add your gnocchi to the pot and stir. Continue to cook for another half hour. The gnocchi will release potato starch into the water to help thicken the broth a little bit as it cooks.
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Remove from heat and eat. Or eat it the next day.
*If you are not using cheese rinds, add an additional 1/4 cup of cream cheese to the recipe for a creamier stew.
**Parmesan cheese rinds add a layer of umami-ness to this soup that can't be beat. I highly recommend as you buy and eat parmesan, to throw the rinds into the freezer and save for a soup-y day! They always add an unexpected "tang" to a recipe that can't be replicated.
