Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup Recipe

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup is a warm, classic dish. It is made with sweet corn, tender chicken, and small egg-and-flour dumplings called rivels.

This old-style recipe starts with rich stock made from scratch. It also uses chopped hard-boiled eggs, a key part of the classic Lancaster County style.

Making this soup at home is simple and fun. You make a rich broth, then add easy homemade dumplings.

The chicken cooks with fresh corn, herbs, and simple vegetables. The corn cobs also cook in the broth. This gives the soup a rich taste with a light, sweet note.

The homemade rivels add a soft, hearty bite to each bowl. The result is a cozy soup that is full of simple, classic flavor.

Recipe Quick Facts and Timing

Soup Prep Time

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Makes: 8–10 servings

Complete Ingredients Breakdown

Get all the items ready before you start. This makes the soup easy to cook and helps keep the taste and texture just right.

Soup Base

• Whole Chicken: 1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds, cut into pieces.
• Water: 3 quarts of water.
• Onions and Celery: 2 medium onions, minced, and 1 cup chopped celery with the leaves.
• Salt and Pepper: 2½ tablespoons kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
• Fresh Corn: 10 ears of sweet corn. Cut off the kernels and save the bare cobs for the broth.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs: 4 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped.

Rivels

• Egg: 1 large egg, well beaten.
• Flour: 1 cup all-purpose flour.
• Salt: 1 small pinch of fine salt.
• Milk: 2 to 3 tablespoons, only if needed to help form the dough.

Step-by-Step Preparation and Cooking Guide

Step 1: Make the Stock

1. Put a large stockpot on the stove.
2. Add the chicken, 3 quarts of water, onions, celery with leaves, salt, pepper, and 10 bare corn cobs.
3. Bring the mix to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Lower the heat. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1½ to 2 hours.
5. Cook until the chicken is very tender and easy to pull from the bone.

Step 2: Prepare the Chicken

1. Take the chicken from the pot. Place it on a plate to cool.
2. Remove and toss out the bare corn cobs.
3. When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and bones.
4. Cut or pull the meat into small pieces. Set it aside.

Step 3: Cook the Corn

1. Bring the broth back to a low simmer.
2. Add the fresh corn kernels.
3. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the corn is tender.

Step 4: Make the Rivels

1. Make the rivels while the corn cooks.
2. Add 1 cup of flour and a pinch of salt to a bowl.
3. Add 1 beaten egg. Mix with a fork.
4. Rub the mix with your fingers until small crumbs form.
5. If the mix is too dry, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk as needed.

Step 5: Cook the Rivels

1. Bring the soup to a gentle boil.
2. Drop the rivel crumbs into the broth a little at a time.
3. Stir gently as you add them. This helps keep them apart.
4. Lower the heat and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
5. The rivels are done when they keep their shape and float to the top.

Step 6: Finish the Soup

1. Add the chicken and 4 chopped hard-boiled eggs.
2. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
3. Taste the soup. Add more salt or pepper if needed.
4. Serve the soup hot.

Culinary Secrets for Authentic Results

The Power of Corn Cobs

Add bare corn cobs to the stock as it cooks. The cobs add a mild corn taste and a touch of sweet flavor to the broth.

This step helps make the broth rich and full of corn flavor. Fresh corn cobs give the soup a taste that frozen corn alone cannot match.

The Role of Hard-Boiled Eggs

Add chopped hard-boiled eggs near the end of cooking. This is a key part of the soup style found in Lancaster County.

The eggs add a rich taste and a soft bite. They also add more texture to the soup with the chicken, corn, and soft egg dumplings.