Sourdough Discard Chicken and Dumplings (Quick and Easy)

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The ultimate comfort food, this sourdough discard chicken and dumplings recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight meal when you are short on time, but want a delicious hearty meal.

So simple any one can make it, this dish includes instructions for both sourdough dumplings and regular dumplings, so even if you haven’t started your own sourdough journey yet, you can still enjoy this dish too! 

Using only pantry staple ingredients, this simple dinner recipe uses whole food ingredients that are both healthy and filling. 

Why You Will Love This Recipe:

Chicken and dumplings is the quintessential comfort food- both warm and hearty this is a meal that is sure to stick to your bones. This comforting meal can be made quickly with basic pantry staples; no rolling pins or precise measurements required. 

This recipe calls for sourdough dumplings, a fun twist on original dumplings that includes sourdough starter in the flour mixture to create pillowy dumplings that are both fluffy and slightly tangy. If you enjoy the biscuit like dumplings, this is the recipe for you!  

I also include instructions for making this recipe with regular biscuit dumplings as well, so if you aren’t a sourdough fan you can still enjoy this delicious dumpling soup. For even more flexibility, feel free to change up the vegetables included in this recipe to make this chicken soup exactly how your family likes it. 

What is in Sourdough Chicken and Dumpling Soup? 

I like to keep my chicken and dumplings simple, so I use homemade chicken broth, cream, shredded chicken breasts, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, garlic and salt and black pepper. If you like a more hearty soup you can add all kinds of different vegetables like peas, green beans, corn and even potatoes. 

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How to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings:

We enjoy a creamy, thick soup base for our chicken and dumplings, so I always thicken the broth base to give it that creamy texture. To thicken my soup, I use a simple flour and broth slurry to make the soup thick and silky smooth.

To make a flour slurry, simply mix about 1/2 cup of hot broth with 2 tablespoons of flour, stir together to make sure there are no flour clumps. Add the slurry back to the rest of the soup and stir to combine. The soup will thicken as it absorbs the flour slurry. 

If you enjoy a more broth like soup base, skip the thickening step all together.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Dumplings:

In a mixing bowl, add together 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 cup cold cubed butter, 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup sourdough starter. 

The sourdough starter can be discard from the fridge or recently fed active starter. Since sourdough can be either thick or thin, you may need to adjust the flour ratio slightly to accommodate a thinner, runnier starter. 

Using a wooden spoon or my favorite, a danish dough whisk, mix together the dry ingredients. Work the cubed butter in to the dough and then add the milk and sourdough starter. 

Mix dumpling mixture until just combined. Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the hot soup and cook according to the recipe. I use a small cookie scoop that holds about a tablespoon of dumpling dough to make sure the dumplings cook evenly. 

If you can’t tell already, we are team biscuit dumpling in this household! This dumpling recipe is extremely similar to my sourdough biscuit recipe which is a huge crowd pleaser in my family and perfect for a warm breakfast!

How to Make Regular Homemade Dumplings:  

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 cup cubed cold butter and 1 cup milk. 

Mix dry ingredients together and then add the butter. Work the butter into the dough using your hands. 

Add milk and sourdough discard to the mixture and use a wooden spoon or a danish dough whisk to mix it all together. Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to drop dumplings into hot soup and cook according to the recipe. 

How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock:  

This step is completely optional, but I like to use my electric pressure cooker to not only cook my chicken for this recipe, but also to make homemade chicken stock or broth. This can be done many ways. 

What I typically do, is put 2-3 chicken breasts in my Instant Pot, add 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper and cover with 8 cups of water. Then I sometimes add the peelings or off cuts of celery stalks, carrots and onions to the pot as well for additional flavor. 

Cook the chicken on high pressure for 35 minutes. Quick release the pressure valve and remove the chicken and shred with a fork. 

Strain the vegetable scraps from the broth and taste for seasoning as needed before using in your favorite soup. 

To make chicken bone broth instead, you can cook the carcass of a whole chicken in an electric pressure cooker or even a dutch oven for a longer simmering time. For a full in-depth guide to making bone broth, check out my turkey bone broth recipe. 

Ingredients for Sourdough Chicken and Dumplings:

• 3 medium carrots (about 2 cups)
• 2 stalks of celery (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cups of shredded chicken
• 5 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of half and half or heavy cream
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp pepper (to taste)
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 tsp salt (to taste)

Dumpling Recipe Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup sourdough discard
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour + 2 tablespoons to thicken the soup
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons of salt 
• 1/2 cup cold butter cubed
• 3/4 cup milk

How to Make Chicken and Dumpling Soup: 

1. In a large soup pot add diced vegetables, chicken broth, cream, herbs and seasonings and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
2. Once the soup begins to boil, remove 1/2 cup of broth from the pot and mix with 2 tablelspoons of flour to create a slurry. Add the slurry back to the soup pot to thicken the soup. This step is completely optional and up to your personal preference. 
3.  Add cooked, shredded chicken to the soup and simmer on low heat while you make the dumplings, stirring occasionally. 
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the dumpling dough. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder thoroughly to combine. 
5. Add in the cubed cold butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Work quickly to keep the butter cold. 
6. Add in 1/2 cup of sourdough discard and milk and use a danish dough hook or wooden spoon to combine with the crumb mixture. Do not over mix. 
7. Turn the heat back up to medium and bring the soup back to a boil. 
8. Once the soup begins to boil, use a small cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the dumpling dough onto the boiling soup. I like to make my dumplings with about a tablespoon of dough in each scoop. If you make larger dumplings you may need to adjust the cooking time. 

9. Reduce the soup to a low boil and allow to cook 10 minutes uncovered. 

10. Cover the pot and allow the dumplings to cook 10 more minutes or until fluffy and cooked through. 

11. Serve warm, garnish with additional herbs such as parsley if desired. 

Variations of Sourdough Chicken and Dumplings: 

The best part of this dumpling recipe is how easy it is to adapt it to your family’s taste! 

Add different vegetables such as corn, peas, or green beans to make it more like a chicken pot pie soup. Any basic soup vegetables will taste great in this dish! 

Use different parts of the chicken instead of chicken breasts for more chicken flavor. Opt for dark meat such as skinless chicken thighs for a truly delicious meal. 

Combine both white and dark meat for even more flavor and create a meal that will stick to your ribs in the cooler months of the year. 

For an even creamier, thicker soup opt for heavy cream instead of half and half. 

How Long Does Chicken and Dumplings Last In the Fridge: 

Since this dish has chicken in it, it is best to consume chicken and dumplings within 3-4 days of being in the fridge. Store chicken and dumplings in an airtight container.

Can You Freeze Chicken and Dumplings?

Yes! You can freeze chicken and dumplings in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Freezing chicken and dumplings is a great way to get a longer storage time or for simple meal prep however you want to be sure to do it correctly for the best taste. 

How to Freeze Chicken and Dumplings: 

For best quality I like to separate the soup from any leftover dumplings and freeze fresh dumpling dough to go with the soup. This keeps the dumplings from getting soggy and freezer burned.  

I recommend pouring leftover soup into an air tight container and freezing. Separately freeze uncooked dumpling dough by scooping the dough onto a parchment lined baking tray and flash freezing them until frozen. Place frozen dumplings into an airtight freeze bag. 

How to Reheat Frozen Chicken and Dumplings: 

Remove the soup from the freezer and allow to thaw slowly in the refrigerator. Reheat the thawed soup on medium high heat until it begins to boil. 

While the soup is warming up, remove the unbaked dumpling balls and allow them to begin to thaw at room temperature. Once the soup begins to boil, add the dumplings. Allow to cook uncovered for 10 minutes and then cook covered for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. 

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