Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels

This comforting farmhouse soup brings together tender shredded chicken, sweet corn, carrots, and celery in a golden, lightly peppery broth. Tiny homemade flour-and-egg dumplings, called rivels, make every spoonful especially satisfying. Finish with fresh parsley and serve it piping hot on a chilly evening.

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 8 servings
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced; 2 medium carrots, diced; 2 celery ribs, diced
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 cups sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1 bay leaf, 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, and 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Rivels: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Do This

• 1. Melt the butter in a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 7 minutes.
• 2. Add the broth, chicken, bay leaf, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat.
• 3. Partially cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
• 4. Meanwhile, combine the flour, egg, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub between your fingertips to make tiny, irregular crumbs.
• 5. Remove the chicken and bay leaf. Add the corn and heat for 3 minutes while shredding the chicken; return the chicken to the pot.
• 6. Sprinkle in the rivels while stirring gently. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through.
• 7. Stir in the parsley, taste the broth, and serve hot.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Comfort in every spoonful: Tender chicken, sweet corn, and soft little dumplings make this soup feel wonderfully homey.
• Simple pantry ingredients: Rivels need only flour, an egg, and a little salt—no rolling pin or special equipment.
• A satisfying one-pot meal: The vegetables and rivels give the broth plenty of substance without making it heavy.
• Easy year-round cooking: Fresh summer corn is lovely, but frozen kernels work beautifully on cold-weather evenings.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 medium yellow onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 celery ribs, fresh flat-leaf parsley, and 4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels if using fresh corn.
• Poultry & Eggs: 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 1 large egg.
• Dairy: Unsalted butter.
• Pantry: Low-sodium chicken broth, all-purpose flour, fine salt, black pepper, and 1 bay leaf.
• Frozen: 4 cups frozen sweet corn kernels if not using fresh corn.

Full Ingredients

For the Chicken Corn Soup

• 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup (150 g)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 1 cup (130 g)
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 1 cup (100 g)
• 8 cups (1.9 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups (600 g) sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen; no thawing needed
• 1/4 cup (15 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For the Rivels

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the measuring cup and leveled
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Equipment

• 6-quart heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven with a lid
• Medium mixing bowl and fork
• Instant-read thermometer
• Two forks for shredding the chicken

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the vegetables and chicken

Finely dice the onion and cut the carrots and celery into 1/4-inch pieces so they cook evenly and fit comfortably on a soup spoon. Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs. Measure the remaining ingredients and set out a 6-quart soup pot.

If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the cobs and measure 4 cups. Frozen corn can go straight into the soup later without thawing.

Step 2: Soften the vegetables

Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables begin to soften. Keep them from browning; this soup should have a clean, golden broth rather than a deeply roasted flavor.

Step 3: Gently simmer the chicken

Add the chicken broth, chicken thighs, bay leaf, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, allowing approximately 5 minutes for the broth to heat.

Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. The surface should show small, steady bubbles rather than a rolling boil. Check the thickest part of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer; it must reach 165°F (74°C). If necessary, continue simmering until it reaches that temperature.

Step 4: Make the tiny homemade rivels

While the chicken simmers, stir the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Add the beaten egg and mix with a fork until the mixture looks shaggy and uneven.

Use clean fingertips to rub and lightly squeeze the mixture into irregular crumbs, mostly about 1/8 to 1/4 inch across. Break up any larger clumps. The texture should resemble coarse, slightly damp crumbs—not a smooth dough ball. Keep rubbing the mixture until the egg is distributed and nearly all the flour is incorporated; do not knead it.

Step 5: Shred the chicken and add the corn

Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or shallow bowl. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the corn to the soup, increase the heat to medium, and heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to bring the broth back toward a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Return the shredded chicken and any juices collected on the plate to the pot.

Step 6: Cook the rivels in the broth

With the soup gently simmering, sprinkle the rivels into the pot in a thin, steady stream, stirring gently as you add them. Avoid dumping them in all at once, which can make them stick together in large lumps.

Once all the rivels are added, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally along the bottom of the pot. The rivels will plump up slightly and give the broth a little body. Cut or bite into one of the larger pieces: it should be tender throughout, with no dry, floury center. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a vigorous boil.

Step 7: Finish with parsley and serve

Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Taste the broth before making any final seasoning adjustments, since chicken broths vary considerably in saltiness.

Ladle into warm bowls, distributing the chicken, corn, vegetables, and rivels evenly. Serve immediately, with crusty bread or simple buttered toast if you like.

Pro Tips

• Keep the rivels small: Rice- to pea-size crumbs are the goal. Larger pieces take longer to cook and can remain floury in the middle.
• Measure the flour lightly: Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it, or weigh out 125 g. Packed flour can make the rivel mixture too dry.
• Use a gentle simmer: Quiet bubbling keeps the chicken tender and helps the rivels cook without breaking apart.
• Let the broth stay brothy: This is a soup, not a thick dumpling stew. If it thickens after standing, loosen each 2-cup portion with 1/4 cup additional broth when reheating.
• Choose flavorful stock: A good-quality low-sodium broth gives you a rich foundation while leaving room to control the salt yourself.

Variations

• Traditional chopped-egg addition: Stir in 2 peeled, chopped hard-boiled eggs with the parsley. This is a familiar addition in many Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soups.
• A slightly thicker corn broth: Replace 1 cup of the corn kernels with 1 cup canned cream-style corn. Add it at the same time as the remaining corn; taste carefully before adding extra salt.
• Use cooked chicken: Substitute 3 cups shredded cooked chicken for the raw thighs. After adding the broth and seasonings, simmer the vegetables for 15 minutes, then add the corn and chicken and continue with the rivels. The cooking time will be shorter.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Store for up to 4 days. The rivels will continue absorbing broth, so the soup will become thicker as it sits.

Reheat: Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup reaches 165°F (74°C). Add 1/4 cup broth per 2 cups of soup if needed to restore its brothy consistency.

Freeze: Freeze cooled soup in airtight containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Rivels may soften after freezing; for the best texture, freeze the chicken-corn soup base without rivels and cook a fresh batch in the reheated, simmering broth.

Make ahead: Prepare the soup through Step 5 up to 2 days in advance, cool promptly, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bring it to a gentle simmer, add freshly mixed rivels, cook for 10 minutes, and finish with parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 kcal | Carbs: 35g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Sodium: 500mg | Cholesterol: 115mg

Nutrition is estimated for one-eighth of the recipe using low-sodium broth. Actual values vary with the chicken, broth, and corn used; optional variations and serving accompaniments are not included.