Is there anything more down-home, cold-weather cozy, and oh-so-satisfying than Chicken and Dumplings? All the reason I needed to make Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Chicken and Dumplings!
Growing up, I used to *love it* when my momma made Chicken and Dumplings. Her rendition was the oh-so Southern semi-homemade version but dang it was SO GOOD. The main ingredients in her soup consisted of canned biscuits, cream of chicken soup, lots of chicken and broth. My siblings and I would devour every last bite!
This recipe took me some time to get right, mainly because of the dang dumplings. I first attempted a paleo rendition of the dumplings, but I just couldn’t get past how dense they were. I tried lots of variations of grain-free flours and it just wasn’t hitting that Chicken and Dumplings spot like I wanted it to!
I finally resulted to using a gluten-free flour and it really does taste super similar to classic dumplings, and I absolutely LOVE how this turned out! If you are a Chicken and Dumplings lover like me, and love to cozy up to a big bowl of it during the cold weather seasons, give this cleaned-up Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Chicken and Dumplings version a try! I think you’ll love it!
For other soups and stews, check out this recipe round-up.
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
Chicken + Soup
- 2.5 lbs. chicken pieces (I use a mix of bone-in, skin-on breasts and/or thighs)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrot, diced small (or one large carrot)
- 1 cup celery, diced small (or 2 stalks)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
To Finish the Soup:
- 1 1/2 cups Nutpods Original Creamer
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, or 1 lemon
For the Dumplings:
- 1 cup Bob's Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped chives
- 2 tbsp ghee (at room temperature) *you can use butter here if you'd like and *you can use vegan butter for Dairy-Free
- 4 tbsp Nutpods Original Creamer
Instructions
Start the Soup Base:
- Pat dry the chicken pieces and season generously with kosher salt and pepper all over.
- In a large dutch oven or pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
- Nestle chicken back into the pot with any of its juices then add the broth, thyme, bay leaves and turmeric. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, uncovered.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to simmering (about medium heat) and cover until chicken is cooked through and can be easily shredded, shredded, 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk to combine tapioca and Nutpods in a separate bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the Dumplings:
- In a medium sized bowl, add the gluten free baking flour, salt, pepper, baking powder, thyme and chives into a bowl and mix.
- Add ghee and stir to combine with a fork. It will be crumbly and powdery. Mash with back of fork.
- Add the Nutpods. Using back of a fork, mash and stir until well-combined. Once mixed, use hands to form one big ball of dough. (if your dough is too dry, add another teaspoon of the nutpods). Set aside in the fridge while your soup continues to cook or for at least for 10 minutes to firm up.
Finish the Soup:
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pot and place onto cutting board to cool.
- Reduce the heat in the soup to a low simmer. While stirring the soup, slowly pour the nutpod/tapioca mixture into your soup until well combined. Let simmer until soup thickens, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove chicken from bone and remove the skin then shred the chicken. Once shredded, dice then place chicken back into the pot and discard the bones and skin.
- Taste broth and adjust seasoning as desired. Let the soup simmer, uncovered, while you add the dumplings.
- When ready and while the soup is still simmering, roll the dumplings into 1/2 tbsp-size balls, and add to soup. Cook until tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes (the dumpling should float to the top).
- Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
30 Comments
Sierra
January 26, 2023 at 12:27 amThe soup is phenomenal! Dumplings not so much. Not sure what went wrong here but my dumplings were so dense and doughy – more like gnocchi than dumplings. Normally have no issues with DD recipes but something went wrong here. Would try again though, soup was spot on
Kt
January 3, 2023 at 2:59 amBut ghee is dairy!?
Natalie
June 6, 2022 at 2:16 amMy dumplings were DENSE balls of dough……… DENSE. What could I have done wrong?
Stephanie
January 7, 2022 at 5:43 pmWhy did my dumplings fall apart?
Sydney.
November 3, 2021 at 2:51 amCan you use unbleached all purpose flour instead of GF?
Gabby
February 1, 2021 at 7:01 pmYou’ve done it again, Alex.
This recipe is honestly DELICIOUS, I could bathe in this stuff.
I was too lazy to make the dumplings and I don’t have a gluten intolerance so I just used refrigerated buttermilk biscuits by Pillsbury for a substitute. I rolled out the biscuits and cut them into long strips so they weren’t balls and would cook quicker and that turned out! I did need to increase cooking time by probably 15 more minutes after adding in the biscuits though. So, so good!
Cami Thompson
January 17, 2021 at 10:36 pmIs there a way to make this whole 30 compliant?
Alex
January 18, 2021 at 3:53 pmI did try with Grain-Free flours but haven’t perfected that yet.
Abby
November 27, 2021 at 5:42 pmAny instructions on how to adapt this recipe if I’m just using leftover Turkey from thanksgiving?
Alex
November 29, 2021 at 1:23 pmYou can just add in chopped, cooked turkey at the very end!
Cristina
December 12, 2020 at 1:00 amHow would I know when the dumplings are fully cooked? This is the first time I make dumplings 🙂
Alex
December 12, 2020 at 5:27 pmThey should float to the top.
Maria
December 1, 2020 at 8:02 pmHi! I am using Bobs GF all purpose baking flour ( a bit different than the 1:1) do I still have to use baking powder? Their website says I need to add xantham gum to anything I use this with since the GF flour I have doesn’t have it…but now i’m not sure whether I need to use baking powder as well!
Alex
December 6, 2020 at 1:17 pmI wish I knew for sure to help you here, but I am not certain.
Julia
January 10, 2021 at 1:57 pmLooks delicious! About how many people does this serve?
Alex
January 15, 2021 at 12:47 pm4 people 🙂
chelsea bracewell
November 30, 2020 at 7:39 pmCould you use almond flour instead of gluten free to make it paleo?
Alex
December 1, 2020 at 1:59 pmI don’t recommend that here. I spent days trying to make paleo dumplings– but they just didn’t ever turn out quite right.
Kelly Evenstad
November 19, 2020 at 1:38 pmAlex
I have never used nut pods , if I wanted dairy would I use cream or milk? And if so do I use the same amount as directed?
Alex
November 19, 2020 at 2:21 pmGo with Heavy creamer if you are OK with dairy.
Lyndsay
November 9, 2020 at 1:46 amThis was so delicious! I am so excited to eat this meal all week
Alex
November 9, 2020 at 12:53 pmahhh, soup leftovers are the bestovers!! 🙂
Rachel
November 6, 2020 at 3:56 pmWould coconut milk or oat milk work as a substitute for the nut pods in the dumplings? I can’t use almond or cashew milk due to food intolerance. Thanks!
Alex
November 6, 2020 at 4:36 pmBoth would work, the coconut milk will change the flavor of it a bit but it will still be good. The oat milk might be better since it’s more neutral in flavor.
Dee
November 5, 2020 at 4:39 pmAbout how many servings does this recipe make?
Alex
November 5, 2020 at 9:51 pmFor 4 🙂
Mary A Miller
October 29, 2020 at 10:24 pmI would love to use it, however I am allergic to Coconut juice/milk, is there another alternative I can use that would work as well? I do use other milk alternatives including cashew Forager for yogurt, lactose/casein free through Green Valley Organics, almond milks without carrageenan etc. I have a few things at my disposal but can’t use the coconut milk, creams, or oils.
Aubrey
December 16, 2020 at 8:12 pmHave you ever tried Carnation’s almond cooking milk? It’s in the baking aisle. Very much like Nutpods but no coconut 🙂
Laura C
October 28, 2020 at 1:56 amThis was so delicious and warming on a cold, snowy night! Loved the addition of the turmeric. Next time I’ll probably make more batter so we can have a few more dumplings! I didn’t have tapioca flour and used arrowroot instead. Seemed to turn out great. Will definitely be making this again!
Alex
October 28, 2020 at 3:32 pmglad it worked with arrowroot!! and hey, i love the idea of more dumplings 🙂