Dairy free, gluten free chicken and dumpling soup that’s so creamy and comforting you’re gonna be blown away!
If you’re looking for a more classic type of chicken and dumpling soup recipe which uses ingredients such as canned cream of mushroom soup and bisquick dough in the ingredients this isn’t the recipe for you.
If however, you’re looking for a lightened up version that’s gluten free, dairy free and packs an equal amount of flavor punch you’re in the right place. This comforting bowl of chicken and dumpling soup is so darn tasty my family just can’t get enough!
Read on to learn how easy it is to go from raw ingredients to plated dish in about 40 minutes.
How to make chicken and dumpling soup
- Step 1: Cook chicken until no longer pink then remove it to the side
- Step 2: Saute onions, carrots and celery until tender then add garlic and saute until fragrant
- Step 3 (optional) Add butter and flour to form a roux which will thicken the soup
- Step 4: Return chicken to the pot and add broth, coconut milk, thyme and bay leaf
- Step 5: Whilst soup is simmering make gluten free dumplings
- Step 6: Drop dumpling dough into the soup and stir in parsley
- Step 7: Remove bay leaves from the soup and serve
How do you thicken chicken and dumplings?
The first time I made this soup it was extremely delicious but not very thick or creamy. So the next time and every time after that I made it using a roux. Which resulted in a chicken and dumpling soup so rich and creamy even I was blown away.
Roux, pronounced ‘roo’ is basically an equal amount (in weight) of flour and fat cooked together to form a paste. It’s a brilliant trick for thickening sauces, gravies and soups.
But can you make a gluten free, dairy free roux?
Using gluten free all purpose flour as the flour will keep this recipe gluten free but the addition of butter, which is the traditional fat of choice for making a roux, would mean the dish is no longer dairy free. Don’t worry though, it is possible to a roux without butter. Below I will list a few fat alternatives for you to choose from in making dairy free roux.
Dairy Free substitutes for making a butterless roux
- Ghee – lactose and casein free and usually fine for those with dairy sensitivities / intolerance but if you have a severe dairy allergy it won’t do as ghee is not dairy free.
- Lard
- Rendered fat like bacon drippings
- Coconut oil
- Avocado Oil
What about making gluten free dumplings for your soup
Three simple ingredients like gluten free all purpose flour, salt and baking powder is all it takes to make dumplings without wheat flour. I make gluten free dumplings all the time and my family honestly cannot tell the difference. These dumplings are thick and dense, which is exactly how we like them.
For this particular recipe I’ve chosen to make gluten free rolled dumplings as opposed to drop dumplings. What’s the difference you ask? Well …
- drop dumplings – you literally just drop the dough into the soup resulting in a more rustic looking dumpling
- rolled dumplings – you roll the dough into a smooth ball before dropping them into the dough
So what do you think? Will you give this chicken and dumpling soup recipe a go?
Chicken and Dumpling Soup (gluten free, dairy free)
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes 2 medium sized breasts
- 3 cups broth or stock I use homemade bone broth
- 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- ½ piece yellow onion, diced
- 2 piece carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pieces bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fresh
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme, chopped fresh or dried
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the roux (optional but recommended for a thicker, creamier soup)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted grass fed butter
- 4 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour
For the gluten free dumplings
- 1 cup all purpose gluten free flour
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove the chicken and its juices from the pot and set it aside.
- Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and saute onion, carrot and celery until tender then add garlic and saute further until fragrant.
- If making the roux add butter and flour to the pot. Stir constantly to prevent the flour clumping.
- Add broth, coconut milk, thyme and bay leaf. Cover the pot.
Make gluten free dumplings
- In a medium sized bowl combine the dumpling ingredients and stir until the mixture comes together into a cohesive dough.
- Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to pinch off dough balls (dough should yield about 12 small dumplings)
- Place the dough balls in the simmering soup.
- Cook for about 15 minutes. When the dumplings rise to the top of the soup it's cooked.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, serve and enjoy!
That looks super yummy. But I think you may have forgot some ingredients for the dumplings? Shouldn’t there be some sort of binding agent to the flour baking powder and salt?
Well spotted Jill. It’s water. Updated now.
what is binding the dumpling? Is it water?
Yes water, sorry, updated now.
This looks delicious. Is there any coconut flavor?
Hi, there is, but it’s not overwhelming and it’s not sweet. I love the taste of coconut so 🙂