German Griessnockerl Suppe (Semolina Dumpling Soup)

By Foodiewife

There are two components to making this childhood comfort food soup that my Mutti used to make for me. (This soup is also popular in Austria.) First, I made a rich dark-colored homemade chicken broth instead of using a beef broth. (You can skip making your own broth, if you prefer, but I think these dumplings are worthy of homemade broth.) For the semolina dumplings, my mother used to buy a package mix (from Maggi). I wanted to make mine from scratch, using semolina flour. I found the perfect recipe on "Li'l Vienna" and it worked perfectly! The dumplings have a light and fluffy texture, with a subtle seasoning of nutmeg. I had to, quickly, write down how I made this so I can make it again, and again.

Ingredients

• BROTH:
• You can use commercial broth if you prefer
• 6 organic chicken legs*
• 1 onion, cut into quarters (no need to peel)
• 3 medium-sized carrots, cut into large pieces
• 3 stalks celery, cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove (no need to peel)
• 6 to 8 stalks fresh parsley
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• 8 cups water
• SEMOLINA DUMPLINGS:
• 5 1/2 (80-g) tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten at room temperature
• 2/3 cups (130-g) semolina (wheat farina, cream of wheat. I used Bob's Red Mill semolina)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon flat parsley, chopped

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 75mins
Cooking time 90mins
Adapted from afeastfortheeyes.net

Preparation

Step 1

Chicken broth:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the chicken into a roasting pan.

Note: I like to use my large cast-iron frying pan. *I buy organic chicken legs, for about $1.99 a pound. A whole organic cut-up chicken costs about $12.00, so this saves money. You could use chicken thighs, as they are also less expensive.

Nestle the vegetables around the chicken.

Season the chicken with coarse salt & pepper and drizzle the chicken and veggies with olive oil. Nestle the parsley in the pan.

Roast the chicken and vegetables for about 30 minutes.

Turn the chicken over, and season with additional salt and pepper. Continue roasting for another 45 minutes; you will begin to smell a rich aroma coming from the oven. The chicken might looks very dark, and dry. Don’t worry, because it will then be cooked in water to make a rich broth.

Place the roasted contents into your pressure cooker pot (or into a large stockpot).

There should be chicken and vegetable “fond” stuck to the bottom of your pan. Add one cup of water and bring everything to boil, scraping and loosening up the dark brown matter. This is flavor!

Pour the contents into the pot and add 7 cups of water.

If using your InstantPot pressure cooker, use the SOUP setting (30 minutes) to pressure cook on high.

If using a stove top stock pot, simmer for 90 minutes.

Once the pressure cooker beeps, do a quick release.

Pour the soup contents through a large sieve and into another pot. Reserve the chicken, to cut up and add into the soup (or freeze for another purpose).

Discard the remaining vegetables.

Season the broth with salt, to your taste. The reason that I don’t add additional salt, while simmering my soup, is that I might use it for a recipe and I want to adjust the salt at the very end of my recipe.

Freezes beautifully.

For the dumplings:

Beat softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute.

Gradually add half of the beaten eggs, then half of the semolina.

Add the remaining eggs, semolina, nutmeg, salt and parsley and mix until well combined. The mixture should be soft and creamy.

Put the batter into the fridge and let it rest for 15 minutes, so it gets firm.

Bring a wide pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Reduce temperature to medium-low. The water should simmer gently but not be boiling or the dumplings will fall apart.

Dip two tablespoons (to avoid sticking) into hot water and form tight, oval quenelles with the aid of 2 tablespoons, so they end up with three clear edges and a smooth surface. NOTE: It took a little practice, but it wasn't too hard. Mine didn't get three clear edges, but I thought they still looked respectable. I don't think there's a need to shape them by hand, as long as you chill the dough. I don't recommend chilling them for longer than the recommended

Don’t make them too big, as they will double in bulk!

Drop the formed dumplings into the simmering water. (I used a spatula to lift them gently into the water, so they wouldn't break apart.)

If you are using a rather small pot, don't overcrowd it, because the dumplings will plump up.

Cook the dumplings in barely simmering water for 5 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to low and let them steep for another 10 to 15 minutes. By now, they should have doubled in volume. (Try one dumpling, if it is still quiet firm in the center, let them steep for a couple more minutes.) NOTE: I didn't try a dumpling, and they turned out perfectly! The dumplings should be soft but not mushy.

Meanwhile heat the stock (you need about four cups).

When the dumplings are done, transfer them with a slotted spoon into soup bowl. Add a ladle of stock and serve sprinkled with chopped chive.

NOTE: You could cook the dumplings in the broth, but you might risk clouding the color and having some bits and pieces floating about. I prefer to ladle broth over the dumplings.

The texture of the dumplings should be soft and fluffy. I loved this recipe!

NOTE: I highly recommend using Maggi seasoning (think of it as German soy sauce) that I can buy at Cost Plus or an international market.