Knoephla Soup
intro
Hearty, creamy German-American Midwestern potato soup studded with soft, pillowy homemade knoephla dumplings, ideal for warming cold winter days.
Ingredients
Steps
Sauté soup aromatics
Melt 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat (325°F/160°C stovetop). Add 1 cup (150g) diced onion, 1/2 cup (60g) diced celery, and 1/2 cup (65g) diced carrot, and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Simmer potato base
Pour 4 cups (960ml) low-sodium chicken broth into the pot with the sautéed aromatics, then add the 3 cups (450g) of 1-inch cubed russet potatoes, 1 teaspoon (5g) of the kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon (1g) black pepper. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low (200°F/95°C) to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 12 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart.
Mix dumpling dough
While the potatoes simmer, prepare the knoephla dumpling dough: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder, and the remaining 1 teaspoon (5g) kosher salt. In a small separate bowl, beat 1 large (50g) egg, then stir in 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, stiff, slightly sticky dough forms, with no dry flour pockets remaining.
Cook knoephla dumplings
Once the potatoes are tender, keep the soup at a steady gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Turn the dumpling dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll it into 1/2-inch thick ropes, then cut the ropes into 1/2-inch long pieces to form the knoephla. Drop the cut dumpling pieces directly into the simmering soup a few at a time, stirring gently after each addition to prevent sticking. Once all dumplings are added, simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, until dumplings float to the surface and are cooked through with no raw dough center when cut open.
Finish creamy base
Stir 1.5 cups (360ml) heavy cream and 1 teaspoon (1g) dried dill weed into the soup with the cooked dumplings and potatoes. Reduce heat to low (170°F/75°C), and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is heated through and reaches a smooth, creamy pale golden consistency. Do not bring the soup to a rolling boil after adding cream to prevent curdling, then taste and adjust salt or pepper if needed.
Rest and serve
Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the soup to thicken slightly. Ladle into warm soup bowls, and serve with crusty rye bread if desired.
Tips
2.Do not bring the soup to a rolling boil after adding heavy cream, as high heat can cause the dairy to curdle and leave a grainy texture in the finished soup.
3.If the soup is too thick after resting, stir in 1/4 cup (60ml) extra chicken broth or milk to reach your preferred consistency; add crumbled cooked bacon for a smoky, savory twist if desired.
OMG this tastes exactly like the knoephla soup my German grandma used to make when we visited her family in the Dakotas! I was so nervous I’d mess up the dumplings but they came out so fluffy, even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds. Served it for Sunday family dinner and everyone raved. 10/10 will make every other week this fall!
Game changer for weeknight meal prep! I made a big batch on Sunday, portioned it out for lunches all week, and it reheated perfectly in the microwave. The dumplings didn’t get mushy at all which I was super worried about. Only change I made was adding a handful of chopped kale for extra veggies, worked like a charm.
Brought this to our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and people were lined up for seconds! I doubled the recipe because I know how fast creamy soups go, and I still only had a tiny cup left to bring home. The dumplings are so easy to make even if you’re terrible at baking like I am. 100% adding this to my permanent potluck rotation.
First time ever making homemade soup from scratch and this was SO easy! I was intimidated by the knoephla dumplings because I thought they’d be like fancy complicated gnocchi, but you just mix the dough and drop spoonfuls in? No rolling? Total game changer for someone who burns toast half the time. It turned out so rich and creamy, my roommate thought I ordered it from our favorite German deli downtown. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish it had a little more direction on how big to make the dumplings, I made mine too big first and they took forever to cook through.
Made this last night when it was 30 degrees and snowing here, and it was the coziest dinner ever. The combination of tender potatoes, chewy dumplings, and that creamy broth? I could eat a whole pot by myself. My husband usually complains about meatless meals but he didn’t even notice there was no sausage or chicken in it, that’s how flavorful it is.
This recipe is so affordable to make! I already had potatoes, flour, and milk in my pantry, only had to pick up an onion and some celery and the whole pot cost me like $7 to make. Fed me and my two roommates for two nights, can’t beat that price right now with grocery costs being so crazy. Will absolutely be making this on repeat all winter.
My kids loved it! I have two super picky toddlers who turn their nose up at almost everything that’s not mac and cheese or chicken nuggets, and they both ate two full bowls of this. I skipped the celery because my kids hate anything green and crunchy, and it still tasted amazing. No complaints at all!
I tried making the dumplings with my go-to 1:1 gluten free flour blend last night and they totally fell apart while cooking :-( Did I do something wrong? The broth was still amazing but I missed the chewy dumplings I remember from growing up!
Pro tip: If you have leftover soup, add a little splash of milk when you reheat it! The broth thickens up a lot in the fridge, and the milk thins it right back out to that perfect creamy consistency without making it watery. Tastes just as good as day one, I promise.
I grew up eating this at church potlucks when we lived in Minnesota but never had the recipe, so I was so excited to find this! I followed the directions exactly and it tastes identical to what the ladies at church would make. I may have added an extra pat of butter on top when I served it, no regrets.
45 minutes cook time is no joke! I got home from work at 6, had this on the table by 6:45 even with stopping to let my dog out and help my kid with homework halfway through. Super straightforward steps, no weird fancy techniques, perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t want to order takeout.
I threw in a tablespoon of fresh chopped thyme from my windowsill garden and a little sprinkle of white pepper instead of black, and it elevated this so much! The herby flavor cuts through the richness of the cream perfectly, I highly recommend trying it if you have fresh herbs handy.
I made this for my kid’s high school football team dinner before their big game last week, and the boys devoured it! Served it with crusty bread and butter on the side, and every single one of them went back for refills. Perfect hearty, filling meal for growing teen boys who burn a million calories a day at practice.
SO good. I made this for date night in with my partner, we paired it with a crisp green salad and a loaf of sourdough, and we both ate way too much. It’s the perfect cold weather soup, I already have the ingredients on my list to make it again next weekend when we get our first hard freeze of the year.
This recipe is exactly the one my mom used to make out of her 1970s church cookbook! I lost my old printed copy when I moved last year and I’ve been searching for it ever since. Tastes exactly like childhood in a bowl, no weird modern twists or unnecessary ingredients. Thank you so much for posting this!
I added a big dash of hot sauce to my bowl and it slapped! The creamy broth cools down the heat perfectly, I was worried it would be weird but it’s such a good combo. If you like a little kick, definitely try topping yours with hot sauce or even some red pepper flakes while the soup simmers. Knocked a star off because I wish the base recipe had a little more seasoning, but that’s an easy fix with extra salt, pepper, and hot sauce so no big deal.
Used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make this vegetarian, and it came out perfect! I was worried it would lack depth but the sautéed veggies and creamy base give it so much flavor you don’t even miss the chicken broth. Great recipe for meatless Mondays, super filling too.
The dumplings in this recipe are perfect. Chewy, soft, not too dense, not too fluffy. I’ve tried like 4 different knoephla soup recipes over the last year and none of them got the dumpling texture right until this one. I could eat those dumplings by the dozen, no joke. 10/10, no notes.