Knoephla Soup Recipe

🥣 What Is Knoephla Soup?

It is a chicken-based dumpling soup that has cream, butter, and a few different vegetables. Typically, you will find potatoes, carrots, and celery in the soup. Then there are the dumplings, which are what make it knoephla soup. We previously wrote about the origins and history of German Knöpfle dumplings and this soup, so that can give you a good historical context.

If I were to plainly describe it, I would say it is a fat-filled, creamy, dumpling soup. Knoephla soup is hearty, tasty, and hits many comfort food checkboxes. This is not a light recipe, although some changes could be made to lighten it up a bit. I wouldn’t recommend any of them. 😉

Memories of Knoephla Soup

On a personal note, I have very fond memories of this soup. I know that many people looking at food blogs don’t want to hear the story, and I usually do not include stories. This one is different, as this soup holds a place in my heart. Scroll to the bottom if you just want to get to the recipe.

I cooked this soup with my grandmother, Doris, and remember being a young kid trying to help her make this soup. Food can bring people back to a time and place, and this brings me to my grandma’s kitchen in the early 1980s. I can imagine the first time I cooked this with her and visualize everything about their kitchen in Enderlin, North Dakota.

Not only does this recipe bring me closer to my loved ones who are no longer here, but I think it provides a connection with my heritage and the world. I am celebrating a dish that my ancestors made. Other people in my region are preserving and sharing these same food traditions. When I make knoephla, I feel like I am creating connections with my heritage and I hope I can share some of those feelings with you. 

Maybe sharing this recipe with you will inspire you to make it and we can have that connection. Just you, me, and Doris sharing this bond through food. No matter our backgrounds and how different we think we are, food is something we all share. A great dish can bring unlikely people together. Who knows? Perhaps our bond will extend to your family when they taste this lovely soup.

🍗 Use Homemade Chicken Stock If You Can

We recently shared our Chicken Stock recipe and I would recommend using this or a similar recipe to make the best soup. I also understand that this could take some time and the boxed chicken stock is a reasonable substitute. If you do substitute store-bought chicken stock, remember that your final product will reflect the ingredients you choose. If you pick a higher quality store-bought chicken stock, you are going to have a better soup.

🧑‍🍳 Flour Roux For Thickening

I like to make my broth nice and thick, so this recipe starts with a small flour roux.

🥟 The Dumplings

The dumpling recipe is relatively straightforward and requires only a few ingredients. These can be made while your potatoes and veggies are cooking. In my instructions, I roll them out, but I gotta tell you my occasional cheat. I will mix the ingredients in the bowl and instead of rolling them out, I will take a small spoon and, when it is time to add the dumplings, just spoon up small portions and drop them into the soup.

This only saves a few minutes, and there are a few drawbacks. Since I am adding the dumplings over a longer interval, I do get some inconsistent cook times. Additionally, the size of the dumplings isn’t uniform, which can affect how evenly they cook.

To be safe, just roll out your dumplings, but keep this little time-saving shortcut in mind for the future.

🍲 Knoephla Soup Leftovers Are The Best

Sometimes I think about making this soup and then just putting it in the fridge overnight because the leftovers are THAT good. I think what happens is that the flour from the dumplings gradually thickens the rest of the soup and you get this super nice, thick dumpling soup. I absolutely adore knoephla soup leftovers and wouldn’t even consider making this soup without an expectation that I am making enough for leftovers.