This Chicken Corn Soup Recipe will make your taste buds tingle in delight! It’s a creamy and comforting meal, perfect for any night of the week. This classic soup combines a medley of vegetables, chicken broth, and rivels to create an unbeatable flavor profile. If you’re looking for a simple yet tasty recipe that’s sure to be a hit with everyone at the table, this is it!

Plus, it only requires 30 minutes of active prep time and 30 minutes of cooking, so you won’t have to spend all day in the kitchen. Enjoy this delicious soup today and watch as your family devours every last drop!

Pot of homemade chicken corn soup with bread

Here in Lancaster, homemade chicken corn soup is sold at most markets, farm stands, and even at the high school football concession stand. It’s a hearty soup with loads of delicious sweet corn fresh from the farm!

but, WHAT ARE RIVELS?

Rivels are tiny dumplings that are made from a mixture of flour and egg. They originate with the Pennsylvania Dutch and are commonly used in chicken corn soup and potato soup. I can specifically remember my mother making rivels for her homemade potato soup.

Why You Need This Soup

It’s a family favorite, meaning everyone will enjoy it and no fussing at the dinner table
It’s incredibly easy to make
This is a filling soup that uses simple ingredients and has a lot of flavor
It freezes well

Ingredients Needed

Get more info on these basic ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

rotisserie chicken
chicken broth
fresh white sweet corn
onion
celery
eggs
salt and black pepper
Fresh parsley
flour
milk

How to Make Chicken Corn Soup Recipe

Finely dice the onion and celery and place in a large stock pot.
Add the chicken stock or bone broth to the large pot.
Bone chicken and add bite sized pieces to the soup pot.
Cut corn off the cobs and add to the pot.
Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil.
Place two eggs in a small sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and cover. Let sit for 15 minutes. Then, strain the hot water and replace with cold water. Once the eggs are cool, peal and chop into small pieces.
To make rivels: beat one egg in a bowl. Add flour and combine. Mixture should be a little sticky. If too dry, add a tiny bit of milk. Form “pea sized” balls of the rivel dough and drop into the boiling soup. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until rivels float to the top.
Add the chopped, hard boiled eggs to the pot.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add fresh parsley for garnish.

Glazed pottery soup tureen in the shape of a hen

Storage

Leftover sweet corn chicken soup should be stored in an airtight container and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

Additionally, you can freeze this soup to have on hand for later. Once it has cooled down to room temperature, transfer it to a freezer safe container and place it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

Recipe Tips

Most recipes for traditional chicken corn soup start by cooking a whole chicken in a pot of water to make your own broth. It’s a long process that takes hours. Instead, I buy a large rotisserie chicken from Costco and use boxed bone broth or chicken stock.
You can use leftover chicken from another recipe for this easy tender chicken soup recipe if needed.
I do, however, like to buy fresh sweet corn and cut the corn kernels off the cob. It’s just so good, especially for this Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup.
This soup is super easy to make, so easy, that I like to make a big batch and freeze some for later, or just to make sure we have enough to feed the whole family for another meal.
Feel free to add any extra veggies that you enjoy to this easy recipe. Soup is a great way to get more veggies in without feeling like you’re pressuring everyone to eat them.

Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup with rivels

What kind of corn should I use?

I picked up some ears of Silver Queen, which is a white sweet corn. But you can use whatever you prefer for this sweet corn soup.

Can I use frozen corn?

If you really want to cut down on time, you could substitute fresh corn with frozen corn. My favorite frozen corn is John Cope’s Silver Queen frozen corn. It’s really THE BEST corn! Whatever you decide to use is based on personal preference, they’ll both work.

Do I have to use rivels?

If you aren’t sure about the rivels, you could substitute egg noodles. My favorite noodles are Mrs. Weiss’ Kluski Noodles. They are a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch style noodle, and would go well in this great recipe.

I like to serve homemade soup with a bread that has a crisp crust, like a French baguette. And, when my soup was ready, I couldn’t think of serving in anything other than my recent thrift store purchase, this brown glazed hen soup tureen.

This is a really simple soup to make and even picky eaters will love it! You’ll find the full recipe below and you can print it as well. Be sure to let me know if you give this recipe a try! I’d love to hear what you think!

Yield: 6

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels

Name: Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 large rotisserie chicken (I like to get mine at Costco); 3 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth; 6 ears of fresh white sweet corn; 1 onion; 3 stalks celery; 2 eggs; salt and pepper to taste; Fresh parsley for garnish; For Rivels:; 1 egg; 1/2 cup flour; dash of milk (if needed)

I've made some shortcuts to this traditional Lancaster County soup recipe that will greatly cut down on the prep and cook time while keeping the delicious flavor

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 large rotisserie chicken (I like to get mine at Costco)
3 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth
6 ears of fresh white sweet corn
1 onion
3 stalks celery
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish
For Rivels:
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
dash of milk (if needed)

Instructions

Finely dice the onion and celery and place in a large stock pot.
Add the chicken stock or bone broth to the pot.
Bone chicken and add bite sized pieces to the pot.
Cut corn off the cobs and add to the pot.
Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil.
Place two eggs in a small sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and cover. Let sit for 15 minutes. Then, strain the hot water and replace with cold water. Once the eggs are cool, peal and chop into small pieces.
To make rivels: beat one egg in a bowl. Add flour and combine. Mixture should be a little sticky. If too dry, add a tiny bit of milk. Form "pea sized" balls of the rivel dough and drop into the boiling soup. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until rivels float to the top.
Add the chopped, hard boiled eggs to the pot.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add fresh parsley for garnish.

Notes

If you don't want to use fresh sweet corn, I would recommend Cope's Silver Queen Frozen Corn. And, if you don't want to make the rivels, you could substitute Mrs. Weiss' Kluski Noodles for an authentic Pennsylvania Dutch style noodle.