Remember the great dumpling soup grandma used to make? Nowadays nobody seems to get it just right.
Lots of restaurants claim to have the best Knepfla soup ever – but when you taste it, it’s just not what you remember. Try this one – it just might be what you were looking for.
Quite a few years ago my wonderful Grandmother passed away at the age of 100. A few years before that I learned how to make her Knepfla soup. I know – I’m not spelling it like the dictionary shows – but I’m spelling it just like Grandma told me to. One did not tell Grandma that she was wrong!
If I made the soup the way she did back on the farm, it would not have any meat in it. I asked her about that and she told me that they would roast a chicken for supper and save any leftover meat for making sandwiches the next day, The bones would be cooked to make broth for the soup to serve along with the sandwiches. She told me that when she was growing up they didn’t have enough money to be putting meat in the soup. She said she didn’t always add the meat even when she had the money, but, she said ” this is just the way I am used to it. If you have the money – go ahead and put the meat in.” And so I do.
: Oh.. the Comfort of SoupThis Yummy looking soup was made by my Neice Jocelyn Beck for her family this week while they are all sharing COVID together.
This soup can take some time to make if you don’t have a Spaetzle maker (German Dumpling maker). I used to make the soup the old-fashioned way with two teaspoons. When my children were still home I could talk them into helping me. (Lots of wonderful conversation was had over a pot of Knepfla soup.) But now that they are all grown up and no longer live at home I use a wonderful tool called a Spaetzle maker that my Mother gave me. You might be able to find one at the local kitchen gadget store but if not just google it and lots of choices will pop up. Bed Bath and Beyond has one online for $9.
German Knepfla Soup Recipe
1 pound chicken breast – boneless
10 cups water
1/2 cup butter
2 cups onion – chopped fine
2 cups celery – shopped fine
3 cups potatoes – peeled and cubed very small
chicken base (paste) or bouillon
1 quart heavy cream
In a large stock pot cook chicken in the water until done. Approx 25 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken – let it cool a bit then cube small. Place chicken back in the pot of water and add enough chicken base to make a strong broth (approximately double what the packaging says to use). Heat to simmering.
In a nonstick fry pan, sauté the onion and celery in the butter until tender. Add all into the broth (butter included). Add cubed potatoes and bring to a boil.
While your broth begins to simmer – prepare your dumpling batter.
German Dumplings (SPEATZLES)
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs – slightly beaten
Mix your dry ingredients in a small bowl them mix in your eggs and milk. Blend it all well.
If doing it the old-fashioned way – drop by 1/2 teaspoon full into the simmering soup. Or if you have a spaetzle maker – fill the hoper at the top and place it over the pot – then slide the hopper back and forth over the soup – repeat until all the dough is in the soup.
Allow the soup to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat – add the cream and Enjoy
Here is a picture of my spaetzle maker. You just place it over your soup pot, fill the hopper and slide the hopper back and forth.
Time Saver Tips
- Skip the Chicken. It’s a wonderful meal without the meat and most items on the ingredient list are things you already have on hand.
- If you love this soup as much as I do, and know you will be making it at least a few times a year, buy the spaetzle maker. You will not believe how fast you can make the dumplings with it. You can usually find one at your local kitchen gadget store. If not – try online. Bed Bath and Beyond showed one for $9.
- Make the soup ahead of time – just don’t add the potatoes, dumplings or cream. You can even freeze it at this point. Just thaw, reheat and start from where you left off – adding the potatoes, dumplings and cream.