Warm up with a big bowl of creamy knoephla soup, loaded with chewy, yet tender knoephla dumplings, chicken, and potatoes. It’s made in under an hour, and step-by-step photos are included!
The hearty aroma of chicken noodle soup filling the house on a chilly day is one of my favorite smells! A rich, creamy, stick-to-your-ribs soup like knoephla soup is even better!
It’s a popular soup in North Dakota, particularly during the cold winter months. My husband introduced me to this hearty soup years ago, and it’s become one of my favorites ever since!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy soup from scratch: Don’t let the idea of making knoephla dumplings from scratch scare you off. This easy knoephla soup recipe comes together with simple pantry ingredients and just one bowl, making it perfect for home cooks of all skill levels.
- Perfect for leftovers & meal prep: This big-batch soup makes a generous portion, making it ideal for family dinners, meal prep, and leftovers. Like many creamy soups, the flavor only gets better the next day.
- Comfort food classic: A traditional North Dakota soup, this creamy, cozy soup has warmed my family on cold winter nights for generations. It’s the kind of hearty homemade soup that brings everyone back to the table.
The next time you’re craving a comforting meal, make a big pot of knoephla soup, and serve it with a chunk of homemade sourdough bread for good measure!
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Pin ItWhat is knoephla soup?
Knoephla soup is a creamy dumpling-and-potato soup, similar to chicken-and-dumpling soup. It became popular in the midwestern United States thanks to German immigrants from Russia.
Knoephla refers to the chewy yet tender dumplings made with flour, milk, and egg. They’re dropped into the simmering soup to cook alongside the chicken and vegetables, delivering irresistibly satisfying, pillowy bites!
Key Ingredient Notes
For the knoephla:
- All-purpose flour – Make sure you measure the flour correctly using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method.
- Egg creates structure by holding the dumplings together.
- Milk adds moisture and richness. I prefer whole milk, but 2% or low-fat milk is also okay.
For the soup:
- Bacon fat – I love using bacon fat for sauteing the vegetables. It adds richness and savory flavor to the soup. You can substitute an equal amount of butter.
- All-purpose flour is for thickening the soup.
- Garlic – Freshly pressed garlic cloves provide an irresistible aroma and robust flavor.
- Vegetables – Carrots, celery, and russet potatoes bulk up the soup, making it a more satisfying and complete meal.
- Chicken breast – Not all knoephla soup recipes include chicken, but I like adding it in for an extra boost of protein.
- Unsalted chicken stock – I prefer to use unsalted stock to control the amount of added salt in the soup. Salted chicken stock is okay, too, but you might want to skip the added salt in the recipe if you’re using salted stock.
- Milk – Whole milk delivers the creamiest mouthfeel. Reduced-fat milk is okay if you’re willing to sacrifice some of the thick, creamy texture!
How to make knoephla soup
Before you get started, chop the chicken, celery, carrots, and potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
1. Prepare the knoephla (dumpling) dough
- Combine the dumpling ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Knead until an elastic dough forms.
- Cover the dough, and let it rest while you make the soup.
- While the soup is cooking, knead the dough into a smooth ball.
- Divide into 2 equal parts and roll into skinny, long logs, about ½-inch thick.
- Then cut into small bite-sized pieces.
2. Make the soup
- Melt the bacon fat in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, garlic, and salt.
- Cook for another 3 minutes to toast the flour. Flour should be evenly dispersed.
- Pour in the chicken stock slowly while continuously stirring the vegetables.
- Add the chopped chicken.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the milk.
- Then carefully drop the dumpling, one by one, into the soup.
- Cook the knoephla soup for 10-15 minutes or until the dumplings float to the top of the pot and are cooked through.
Expert Tips
- Rest the knoephla dough for at least 10 minutes. At first, your dough ball will look rough and not as smooth. And when you knead it after resting, it’ll turn into a nice smooth ball.
- Aim for uniformly sized dumplings so they cook evenly.
- To prevent the dumplings from sticking together in one big clump, drop them into the soup a few at a time, instead of all at once.
- Don’t add ice-cold milk to the hot soup. This can cause the milk to curdle and separate into a lumpy, unappetizing texture. Instead, let your milk come to room temperature, warm it slightly in the microwave, or temper it by mixing a few tablespoons of the hot soup broth into the milk first.
Make-Ahead
You can make the soup portion of this knoephla soup recipe 1-2 days in advance, saving the dumpling preparation for the day you plan on serving the soup.
- Make the soup as instructed, without the dumplings. Then, store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- When you’re ready to serve your knoephla soup, warm it gently on the stovetop over medium to low heat. While the soup is warming, prepare the dumplings.
- Then, cook the dumplings in the soup as instructed.
Storage
You can store leftover knoephla soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat, warm it on the stovetop over medium to low heat until warmed through. If the soup has thickened too much, add a splash of water, milk, or broth to thin it back out.
Knoephla FAQs
You won’t find knoephla in most grocery stores unless you’re in North Dakota or Minnesota. If you happen to be in the Midwest, you might just get lucky and find knoephla in the freezer aisle or even for sale at a local diner!
Every Midwest family puts their own unique twist on knoephla. However, knoephla is typically made using flour, milk, and eggs. Dried herbs, such as parsley, dill, and thyme, are added for flavor.
The literal translation of knoephla is “little button” and is derived from the German word “knöpfle,” which means “small buttons.” When Americans talk about knoephla, they’re referring to the small dumplings used in knoephla soup recipes.
More Hearty SouRecipes
Knoephla Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For knoephla:
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk Note 1
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
For soup:
- 4 tablespoons (30 g) bacon fat
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 cup chopped carrots 2-3 medium carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery 3-4 celery stalks
- 2 cups chopped russet potatoes 2-3 medium potatoes
- 1 chicken breast cut into bite sizes Note 2
- 4 cups (1 L) unsalted chicken stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk
Instructions
To make the knoephla dumplings:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dumpling ingredients and mix into a ball.
- Cover the dough and let it rest while you make the soup.
- While the soup is cooking, knead the dough into a smooth ball.
- Divide into 2 equal parts and roll into skinny, long logs, about ½-inch thick.
- Then cut into small bite-sized pieces.
To make the soup:
- In a large pot, melt the bacon fat over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, garlic, and salt. Cook for another 3 minutes to toast the flour. Flour should be evenly dispersed.
- Pour in the chicken stock slowly while continuously stirring the vegetables.
- Add the chopped chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the milk. Then carefully drop the dumpling, one by one, into the soup.
- Cook the knoephla soup for 10-15 minutes or until the dumplings float to the top of the pot and are cooked through.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Refrigerate leftover knoephla soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
– To reheat, warm it on the stovetop over medium to low heat until warmed through. If the soup has thickened too much, add a splash of water, milk, or broth to thin it back out.
– I don’t recommend freezing knoephla soup.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on January 19th, 2016.
Great thanks so much
I love knoephla soup. My mom was of German decent and WE had Alot of German dishes. We always made it very simple. Chopped onion.., diced potatoes, diced celery, Mom always cut up hotdogs, but I use Oscar Mayer Smokies. Put in enough water to cook potatoes and celery. Add a chicken boullion and 3 cups of milk and 2 or 3 bay leaves. The knoephla mixture is 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt and just enough milk to make the dough. Let the dough sit covered for about 10 min. Then I take a palm full of dough and a paring knife and and just cut small pieces of dough from your palm and place into the broth. After placing the dough into the pot, cover with lid for 10 min on med heat. Enjoy!
Hi, Vicki! Thank you so much for sharing your version. It sounds great!! Hotdog addition is interesting! Can’t wait to give it a try!
There is an error in the bacon grease amount. It says 4 tablespoons divided but never shows how it is to be divided.
Thanks for pointing it out, Sheilah. I notice it every time I make the recipe, but forget to update it later on. 🙂 I just corrected it. 2 tablespoons are used in the roux in step 3, and the remaining 2 tablespoons in step 4.
Found this recipe over a year ago and have been using it ever since! SOO good!! I’m going to attempt to make a vegan version-Sub milk for dairy free milk, sub butter for vegan butter, sub chicken stock for veggie stock, and sub chicken for extra veggies! Wish me luck 😉
Thank you so much for your feedback, MaTaylie! So glad you love the recipe. Please let us know how your vegan version turned out.
The vegan version actually worked out great! I’m almost starting to memorize this recipe, I’ve made it so many times lol.
That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing, Mataylie! 🙂
Any suggestions on making this in a crockpot??? Looks great, but hoping to serve as an appetizer for part of Thanksgiving!
Hi, Sondra. I’ve never made this in a crockpot. But you can make it today, and warm it up and serve in crockpot tomorrow.
Hi! Is it 4 cups of stock PLUS another liter or just four cups total?
Hi, Sherry. Just 4 cups of stock. Sorry for confusion.
I add a bit of fat and baking powder to my dumplings so they aren’t as dry in the middle. Just a tip. My mom likes them a bit dry, but I don’t.
Cody, I’ll sure try adding fat and baking powder to my dumplings next time. That’s sounds really good. Thank you for the tip!
Can you give more details? Fat as in bacon Fat or butter? How much baking powder?
First tried it at Dickens in Garrison, ND when I first moved here a few years ago. Absolutely awesome soup! Love it.
Yay, thank you, Bri! So glad you loved this fabulous soup that only those in ND know about. 🙂
I’m gonna try this.
My 1st time having Knoephla Soup was at “The Country Kettle” in Beulah, ND. I loved it!.
I’m from Enterprise, MS.
Thank you for sharing.
Melissa Neal
Hi, Melissa. I bet that knoephla was great. I live not very far from Beulah, and I’ll have to check it out sometime. Hope you’ll give this recipe a try. Let me know if you. It’s our favorite.
I made this for dinner last night, but it required some tweaking because your recipe doesn’t indicate when to add the roux back to the soup. The soup was still delicious with my modifications, but I wanted to give you a heads up to correct your recipe.
Hi, Erin! First, thank you for trying my recipe despite my oversight in the recipe. I’m sorry about that! I’m glad you modified the recipe and enjoyed the soup regardless. I just updated it, the roux goes in at step 7. Thanks for letting me know about my mistake. 🙂
This sounds like the perfect comfort food to me! I could definitely go for a bowl of this! Pinning!
It’s definitely comfort food! Thanks for pinning, Michelle!