Cozy, cheesy comfort bowl.
This tomato soup with Cheddar Bay dumplings is pure comfort food magic. Think rich, creamy tomato soup topped with fluffy, buttery dumplings packed with cheddar and garlic—inspired by everyone’s favorite Cheddar Bay biscuit flavor. It’s cozy, filling, and feels a little fancy while still being incredibly easy to make. Perfect for chilly nights, quick family dinners, or when grilled cheese just isn’t enough, this one-pot meal delivers big flavor with minimal effort. Busy-day approved and Pinterest-worthy, it’s a soup recipe you’ll come back to all season long.
⏱️ Time Breakdown
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 4 bowls
📝 Ingredients
Tomato Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Cheddar Bay Dumplings
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Optional Topping
- Extra melted butter mixed with a pinch of garlic powder & parsley
✨ Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
This recipe doesn’t require fancy gadgets, just a few reliable kitchen basics to keep everything simple and stress-free.
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Small spoon or cookie scoop
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Beginner-Friendly Instructions
- Start the soup. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant 😊
- Build flavor. Add crushed tomatoes, broth, sugar, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Stir well.
- Simmer. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cream. Lower heat and stir in heavy cream until smooth and slightly thick 🍅✨
- Make dumpling dough. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and cheddar. Stir in milk and melted butter just until combined.
- Drop dumplings. Spoon small dollops of dough directly onto the simmering soup.
- Cover & cook. Cover the pot and cook for 12–15 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through 🧀🥣
- Finish. Brush dumplings with garlic butter if desired and serve hot.
💡 Pro Tips
- Don’t lift the lid while dumplings cook—steam is what makes them fluffy.
- Extra cheesy: Add a pinch of cheese on top of each dumpling before covering.
- Thicker soup: Let simmer uncovered 2–3 extra minutes before adding dumplings.
- Storage: Soup keeps well for 3 days; dumplings are best enjoyed fresh.