Description
Rich, silky tomato soup gets a delicious upgrade with fluffy cheddar bay dumplings that taste just like Red Lobster biscuits. This one-pot comfort food recipe is easy to make and absolutely irresistible!
Ingredients
For the Tomato Soup Base:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 sweet white onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (plus 1 additional 15.5-ounce can for total 43.5 oz)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Cheddar Bay Dumplings:
- 1 (11-ounce) package Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (with seasoning packet)
- Water (as directed on package)
For the Finishing Touch:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Seasoning packet from the biscuit mix
Instructions
Melt your butter in the big pot over medium heat, then throw in that chopped onion. I usually chop mine pretty small because my kids pick out big pieces, but you do you. Cook it until it looks glassy and smells amazing – takes about 5 minutes. Don’t crank the heat trying to speed this up like I did once. Burnt onions taste terrible and you’ll have to start over.
Now comes the flour part. Sprinkle it over those onions and stir it around for a minute. It’s going to look like wet sand, which always makes me think I’m doing something wrong, but that’s exactly what you want. Keep stirring or it’ll stick to the bottom and give your soup a burnt taste.
Here’s where people usually mess up – add the chicken broth slowly while you whisk. My first attempt looked like chunky gravy because I dumped it all in at once. Pour a little, whisk like crazy, pour some more. Then dump in both cans of tomatoes with all their juice. That juice is where half the flavor lives.
Throw in your sugar, salt, and pepper, then turn the heat down so it’s just bubbling gently. I always taste it at this point because some canned tomatoes are more acidic than others. Sometimes I need extra sugar, sometimes extra salt. Your taste buds know better than any recipe.
This part is totally up to you. I usually blend about half of it with my stick blender because I like some chunks but want it creamy too. My mother-in-law blends the whole thing smooth as silk. My husband likes it chunky. Make it however makes you happy – there’s no wrong way here.
Mix up that biscuit dough exactly like the package says. Don’t overthink this part – the people who made the mix know what they’re doing. The dough should be sticky enough to hold together but not so wet it won’t hold its shape. I’ve messed this up by adding too much water before.
This is the fun part! I use a big spoon and just plop dollops of dough right into the simmering soup. Space them out so they’re not touching – they puff up more than you’d think. First time I made this, I crowded them all together and ended up with one giant dumpling blob.
Put that lid on and set a timer for 15 minutes. I know you want to peek, but don’t. Every time you lift the lid, steam escapes and your dumplings won’t be as fluffy. I learned this the hard way when my first batch came out dense as rocks because I kept checking on them.
While those dumplings are doing their thing, melt your other 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and mix in that seasoning packet. This smells incredible and is basically liquid gold. I always make extra because people want to put it on everything.
When your timer goes off, carefully lift one dumpling with a spoon and peek inside – no raw dough means they’re done. Then brush or spoon that seasoned butter right over the tops. This step makes the whole kitchen smell like Red Lobster, and everyone will come running.
Notes
After making this probably fifty times, here’s what I’ve figured out. Room temperature ingredients mix better – I pull my eggs and butter out when I start chopping the onion. Don’t beat up that dumpling batter too much – just mix until it comes together or they’ll be tough. I keep a bowl of water next to me for dipping my spoon between dumpling drops.
The biggest thing is tasting as you go. I had one batch where the tomatoes were super acidic and needed way more sugar than the recipe called for. Another time they were sweet as candy and barely needed any. Every can is different, so trust your taste buds more than the measuring spoons.
Also, make way more of that seasoned butter than you think you need. My family fights over who gets to scrape the bowl, and I’ve started doubling it just to keep the peace.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American