The light in my kitchen that late afternoon always finds the steam first. It curls up from the pot and makes a soft cloud against the window, and the smell of chicken and corn and butter carries back years. Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings sat on our table on Sundays when the weather turned cool, and everyone seemed to move a little closer to the center of the house.

This soup tastes like the way my grandmother folded a quilt, slow and steady with hands that knew when to rest. It is Southern comfort and Pennsylvania Dutch humility held together in a bowl, and I still find peace in making it the slow way, whether in a heavy pot on the stove or in a crock pot that hums like a small, patient heart.

Why Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings Still Feels Like Home

This soup is more than a set of ingredients. It is a story passed from one hand to another, a quiet ritual on afternoons when the laundry is folded and the radio plays an old tune. Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings carries the plain, honest food of farm kitchens and the warmth of family tables. It mixes the pantry pantry staples with the kind of patience that comes from watching good things take their time.

Families in the South and in Pennsylvania both taught me that soup is conversation in a pot. A bowl of this soup says, I am here. It says, sit down. From the tender corn to the ribboned dumplings my mother called rivels, the dish reaches back to times when people relied on slow cooking to feed many and waste nothing. It is homemade in spirit, and when I make it slow in a crock pot or steady in a stockpot, I feel connected to both my lineage and the simple comforts that never go out of style.

Bringing Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings Together With Care

“Every time this pot simmers, it feels like my mama’s kitchen all over again.”

Before you gather your bowls and ladles, know that making this soup is a gentle rhythm. You will chop, you will simmer, and you will listen. The smell is grassy and sweet from fresh corn, deep and mellow from the chicken stock, and the rivels add a tender, almost pillow-like texture that makes every spoonful homey and humble.

Think of this as a slow-cooked conversation. Whether your pot sits on a stovetop or in a slow cooker, the steps below will guide you to a bowl that warms hands, hearts, and memory. The scent will remind you of Sunday afternoons, and the texture will settle like a familiar shawl across your shoulders.

What You’ll Need to Make Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings

1 large rotisserie chicken
3 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth
6 ears of fresh white sweet corn
1 onion
3 stalks celery
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish
For Rivels:
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
dash of milk (if needed)

Note: Use real butter if you can; it gives that Sunday flavor. If you must substitute oil, use a neutral oil and a little extra salt to bring back richness. Fresh corn makes a difference in smell and texture, but good frozen kernels will still carry memory to the table.

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Finely dice the onion and celery and place in a large stock pot.
   Lightly wake the pot with a tablespoon of butter or oil; add the vegetables.
   Stir for a few minutes until the edges turn glossy and the scent is soft.
2. Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil over medium heat, stir for a few minutes until the edges turn glossy and the scent is soft.
   Let the butter foam and then settle so it smells sweet and nutty.
   Keep the heat moderate so the onion and celery soften without coloring too quickly.
3. Add the chicken stock to the pot, pour slowly and bring to a simmer.
   Pour with calm hands so the steam rises steadily and looks almost like a thin veil.
   Let the liquid come up to a gentle simmer where you see soft, regular bubbles.
4. Bone the chicken and add bite-sized pieces to the pot.
   Remove skin and bones if you prefer a lighter broth, but leaving some skin gives depth.
   Tuck the chicken pieces into the warm broth so they take on the corn and herb notes.
5. Cut corn off the cobs and add to the pot; add the cobs for more flavor if desired.
   Run a sharp knife down each ear and watch the kernels fall like little golden beads.
   Drop the cobs in too if you want a richer broth; they will lend body as they simmer.
6. Cook on medium heat until boiling, then lower to a steady simmer for about 15 minutes.
   When the pot reaches a soft boil, reduce the heat so the soup breathes, not roars.
   Let the flavors marry for those fifteen minutes so the corn sweetens the broth.
7. Place two eggs in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
   After boiling, cover and let sit for 15 minutes then cool in cold water, peel, and chop.
   The hard-boiled eggs add a gently savory note and a little richness when stirred in.
8. Beat one egg in a bowl for the rivels, add flour and combine to form sticky balls.
   If the mixture seems too dry, add a dash of milk until it binds but stays sticky.
   Drop spoonfuls into the boiling soup; they will plump and sink, then rise.
9. Cook rivels for about 5 minutes until they float. Stir gently while adding.
   Watch as the rivels come up, all puffed and soft, and listen for the simmer’s even hush.
   Stir softly to keep them round and tender; overworking them can make them dense.
10. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to the pot, salt, and pepper to taste.
    Season slowly and taste as you go; remember that broth concentrates if it reduces.
    A final grind of pepper and a careful pinch of salt will coax the whole pot to life.
11. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
    Chop parsley right before serving for a bright, herbaceous finish.
    Ladle into warm bowls and pass bread so everyone can sop and smile.

A Supper That Brings Everyone Closer

The table fills before the bowls do. Someone reaches for the pot, and a chair scrapes back as a child asks for a second ladle. When I lift the lid, the room breathes in together. Steam carries the scent across the room and conversation leans toward old stories. Even the simplest supper becomes ceremonial when the house smells of slow-cooked chicken and sweet corn.

Serve the soup with crusty bread or cornbread warmed in butter. A small green salad keeps the meal bright, but you may find no one wants anything else. The rivels are the heart of this dish; they make each spoonful feel whole in a way meat alone cannot. Pass the pot around the table and watch how the act of sharing slows the minutes, makes tall tales gentle, and keeps hands warm.

For a relaxed supper, place the pot in the center and invite everyone to come back for second helpings. Hum the old hymns or play a scratchy record if you have one. That little ritual is as important as the seasoning; it is what turns a recipe into a reunion.

Keeping the Comfort for Tomorrow

Leftovers do what good soup is meant to do: they deepen and sweeten. If you can, let the soup cool for a short while, then transfer it to shallow airtight containers and refrigerate. It keeps well for three to four days. The rivels will soak up a little broth, so when you reheat, you may need to add a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the texture.

To reheat on the stovetop, warm gently over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soup moves and the steam rises. If you use a slow cooker, set it on low for an hour to bring the soup back to serving temperature. Avoid boiling leftover soup; a soft simmer keeps rivels tender and the chicken moist.

For freezing, remove the rivels and eggs if you can. Freeze the broth, corn, and chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. When you thaw and reheat, make fresh rivels and add chopped hard-boiled egg at the end for the best texture. The flavors will hold beautifully and taste like a small comfort saved for a rainy day.

Lila’s Little Lessons

1. Use the bones.
   When you have a spare chicken carcass, simmer it with the cobs for extra body in the broth. A long, slow simmer builds that deep, homey stock without added fuss.
2. Watch the rivels.
   Rivels are tender and quick. Drop them into a rolling pot and give them just enough time to float and set. Overcooked rivels will go heavy, undercooked rivels will be pasty.
3. Season at the end.
   Chicken broth can reduce and concentrate. Salt lightly at first and finish seasoning at the end after the soup has had a chance to settle.
4. Fresh corn matters.
   When you can, use fresh white sweet corn. It brings a floral sweetness and a slight snap that frozen corn cannot fully mimic. If using frozen, add a little sugar if the corn tastes flat.
5. Trust your nose.
   When you cook this soup often, a feel for timing comes from scent and sight. The aroma of softened onion, the sight of plump rivels, and the sound of a low simmer tell you everything.

Family Twists on Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings

Every family has its secret turn. My aunt liked to stir in a splash of cream at the very end for a silkier mouthfeel. My neighbor adds a small bay leaf while simmering the stock, then removes it before serving for a faint herbal whisper. My cousin swears by a sprinkle of smoked paprika to bring a hint of country smoke.

For busy households, a slow cooker or crock pot works wonders. Brown the onions and celery in a skillet first to coax out sweetness, then transfer everything to the crock pot with the chicken, corn, and broth. Set low and let it go four to six hours. Add rivels in the last 30 minutes so they do not disintegrate into the soup. This method is forgiving and makes the house feel like a Sunday evening even on a Wednesday.

Vegetarian cousins have also adapted this recipe. Use a rich vegetable stock, add sautéed mushrooms for depth, and fold in corn and vegetarian rivels made from a touch of plant milk and a cup of flour and a touch of salt. While it strays from the true Pennsylvania Dutch lineage, the spirit of the dish stays: warm, humble, and made to share.

If you like a thicker broth, remove a cup of soup, mash a few kernels against the side of the pot, then return it. This adds texture without heaviness. Or, for a clearer soup, avoid mashing and let the rivels and corn speak for themselves.

From busy weeknights to Sunday dinners, these crockpot chicken recipes make hearty, comforting meals simple and stress-free.

FAQs About Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings

A Final Thought

There is a quiet power in recipes that are made slowly. Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings taught me how to be patient, how to listen to a pot, and how the best meals are often the simplest ones. When you feed people this soup, you feed a memory. You give warmth and a small space where stories come easily and shoulders drop.

Keep the pot for company. Let someone new ladle the soup, and pass along the rivel recipe when they ask. Food is how we hold each other in places where words might not reach. This soup is a way to set a soft place at the table and to teach the next hands that cooking can be an act of quiet love.

Planning a gathering? Browse our holiday and party recipes for crowd-pleasing slow cooker dishes, desserts, and easy favorites.

Conclusion

If you want to compare notes or see another take on this classic comfort, you might enjoy the tried-and-true approach in Best Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup Recipe – Allrecipes, which offers a time-honored version that speaks to tradition and flavor.

For a version that highlights rivels and their tender charm, take a look at Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels – Gather for Bread, which explores technique and texture for the dumplings that make this soup so comforting.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Dumplings

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• Author: Lila Morrison
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Non-Vegetarian

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Description

A comforting soup made with rotisserie chicken, fresh corn, and soft dumplings known as rivels, perfect for bringing family together on chilly afternoons.

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Ingredients

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• 1 large rotisserie chicken
• 3 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth
• 6 ears of fresh white sweet corn
• 1 onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish
• For Rivels:
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup flour
• Dash of milk (if needed)

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Instructions

1. Finely dice the onion and celery and place in a large stock pot.
2. Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil; add the diced vegetables and stir until glossy.
3. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
4. Bone the chicken and add bite-sized pieces to the pot.
5. Cut corn off the cobs and add to the pot; add the cobs for more flavor if desired.
6. Cook on medium heat until boiling, then lower to a steady simmer for about 15 minutes.
7. Boil two eggs, let them sit, cool, peel, and chop.
8. Beat one egg for the rivels, add flour, mix, and form sticky balls. Add a dash of milk if necessary.
9. Drop spoonfuls of rivels into the boiling soup; they will rise when cooked (about 5 minutes).
10. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs, salt, and pepper to taste.
11. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

For the best flavor, use real butter. Fresh corn makes a big difference in taste and texture, but good frozen kernels are acceptable.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bowl
• Calories: 400
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 600mg
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 22g
• Cholesterol: 180mg