Homemade Beef Dumpling Soup Recipe

This Beef Dumpling Soup is a comforting, hearty bowl built on a rich homemade beef bone broth and tender, from-scratch dumplings. It’s ideal for cold evenings or any time you want a filling, savory meal that keeps well as leftovers. The long simmer concentrates deep beef flavor and yields a broth that’s both nourishing and full-bodied.

Homemade Beef Dumpling Soup

This version was made for a holiday and uses a combination of oxtail, short ribs, and chuck roast to create a gelatinous, savory bone broth. Browning the meat first and then simmering low and slow brings out rich, beef-forward flavors and gives the broth a silky mouthfeel. The dumplings are simple—flour, eggs, milk, and salt—and drop into the simmering broth to cook into soft, satisfying pillows.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Deep homemade flavor: The bone broth base adds depth and richness you won’t get from store-bought stock.
One-pot comfort: Protein, vegetables, and dumplings all come together in a single pot for an easy, filling meal.
Great leftovers: Flavors develop further after a day or two, making this an easy make-ahead dinner.

Try our Chicken Dumpling Soup too!

Recipe Shopping List

Below are the ingredients grouped by use. For exact quantities, see the detailed ingredient section further down.

For the Bone Broth

Neutral oil (for browning)
Salt, garlic powder, pepper
Oxtail, short ribs, beef chuck (combination of cuts for collagen and meat)
Beef broth or water to build the liquid base
Whole onion (peeled), celery stalks, bay leaves

For the Soup

Sliced carrots
Sliced celery
Diced onion

For the Dumplings

All-purpose flour
Eggs
Milk
Salt

How to Make This Soup

This overview summarizes the process. Follow the full instructions below for cooking times and order of steps.

Make the Bone Broth

Brown the meat: Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season the oxtail, short ribs, and chuck with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Brown the pieces in batches, transferring browned meat to a plate.
Simmer the broth: Return all seared meat to the pot. Add beef broth (or water plus stock), the whole onion, celery stalks, and bay leaves. Reduce to a low simmer and cook gently for 2–3 hours, until the meat is very tender and falling from the bone.
Strain and shred: Remove solids from the pot. Separate meat from bones, discard bones and aromatics, and return shredded meat to the strained broth.

Build the Soup

Add the vegetables: Add sliced carrots, celery, and diced onion to the pot with the strained broth and shredded meat. Simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 10–20 minutes depending on thickness.

Make the Dumplings

Mix the batter: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and salt. Stir in two cups of flour, then add additional flour a little at a time until the batter drops from a spoon in thick clumps rather than pouring off.
Cook the dumplings: Once the soup is at a gentle simmer, drop spoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the liquid. After all dumplings are in, cover the pot, increase heat briefly to bring to a boil for five minutes, then reduce heat and let finish cooking through until dumplings are set and tender.
Serve: Ladle soup and dumplings hot into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs if desired.

Have this with a Greek salad for a complete meal.

Recipe FAQ

Can this recipe be made in advance?

This soup makes excellent leftovers. Plan to make extra—the flavors often improve after a day or two, and the gelatin in the broth helps the texture stay satisfying on reheating.

What’s the best way to store and reheat leftovers?

Cool to room temperature, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat gently on the stove over medium heat until hot. The dumplings reheat well in the broth; microwave reheating also works for single servings.

Can I use different vegetables?

Yes. Add or substitute vegetables you prefer—parsnips, turnips, or leeks all work well. Add quicker-cooking vegetables later in the simmer so they don’t overcook.

Is there a substitute for beef?

Beef provides the characteristic flavor of this recipe, but you could experiment with lamb or pork if you’d like a different profile. Adjust seasonings accordingly.

Try this with warm grilled dinner rolls on the side.

Serve This With

Homemade Caesar Salad
Grilled garlic bread

More Soup Ideas

Smoked Tomato Basil Soup
Smoked Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Italian Sausage and Potato Soup
Ham and Potato Soup
Smoked Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Yield: 14 servings

Beef Dumpling Soup

Comforting homemade bone broth supports this hearty soup made with oxtail, short ribs, and chuck roast, plus fresh vegetables and hand-made dumplings.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Bone Broth

3 tablespoons avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon pepper
2 pounds oxtail
2 pounds short ribs
4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1–2″ chunks
4 quarts beef broth
1 whole onion, peeled
3 stalks celery
3 bay leaves

Soup

2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 cup diced onion

Dumplings

3 cups flour
12 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Bone Broth

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Mix salt, garlic powder, and pepper and sprinkle over the meat.
Brown the meat in batches and remove to a plate once seared.
Return seared meat to the pot and add beef broth, whole onion, celery stalks, and bay leaves.
Simmer for 2–3 hours until meat is tender and comes off the bone easily. Remove solids, separate meat from bones, and return the meat to the broth.
Add the soup vegetables and simmer until tender.

Dumplings

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and salt together.
Stir in two cups of flour, one cup at a time. Gradually add the last cup until batter drops from a spoon in thick clumps.
Mix until no large lumps remain; do not overmix.
Bring the soup to a simmer and drop dumpling batter by spoonfuls into the broth.
Cover the pot, raise the heat to bring to a brief boil for five minutes, then reduce heat and cook until dumplings are fully set. Serve hot.

Nutrition (estimate per serving)

Nutrition data is an estimate.