Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures (2024)

Published on Updated on June 24, 2019 in Destinations, Food, Midwest, Recipe, United States

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What the heck is knoephla soup and how do you say that “k” word?

Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures (1)

Knoephla soup (pronounced neff-lah) is unique to North Dakota. Ask any North Dakotan about it and they’ll probably tell you their grandmother made the best knoephlasoup in all of North Dakota. And no, you cannot have her recipe.

My first encounter with the soup was at the end of my first school year in Jamestown. About a week before finishing 8th grade, the teacher sent home a permission slip to take us on a field trip to the Depot Cafe to get soup for our last day.

Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures (2)

An end of the year treats field trip wasn’t a new concept. When we lived in Michigan, every teacher took their class to the ice cream parlor downtown near the end of the year. So when this teacher said we were going to get soup I was 100% confused.

Who get’s soup to celebrate summer?

When we finally went, I was against the whole idea of soup on the last day and wasn’t even going to try it. The kids in class finally convinced me that I should try it and I ended up having two bowls it was so good!

Since the Depot only serves Knoephla soup on Thursdays I convinced Mom to take my sister and I the following week and we fell in love with a new dish.

Two years went by before I learned how to make my own version of knoephla.

Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures (3)

It started off as a recipe I got in cooking class in high school. In time, I lost the recipe and went off what I remembered was in it. That’s usually how I cook, throw the ingredients in the pot and hope for the best while adding a dash of this and a splash of that.

It was never ever the same!

Sometimes it was amazing, other times it was barely edible.

I have been meaning to write down a recipe for years now so I can share it, but never had the motivation to figure it all out when I cooked.

Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures (4)

This time around, Mom said it was one of the best variations of knoephla soup that I have ever made. She also always says a nice piece of chewy bread would be great (because all soup needs bread), but it is not necessary with this recipe.

Where Does Knoephla Soup Come From?

Over the years, we have always heard that it was a German soup. So when we finally went to Germany and met up with friends, we asked if they had heard of it. They didn’t have a clue what we were talking about.

We asked the Norwegian exchange student if he had heard of it before. He had not.

I think it might be a German from Russia recipe, but one thing I do know is that it is a dish unique to the Dakotas.

Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures (5)

The Best Knoephla Soup Recipe

Ingredients

For the Soup

  • 6 cups water
  • 12 chicken bullion cubes (yes, 12 is correct!)
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 1/3 cup real bacon bits
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Accent
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped celery (about 6 large stalks)
  • 2 1/2 cups diced carrots
  • 3 cups diced potatoes skin on or off (about 2 large)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Knoephla Dough Recipe

Directions

  1. Add water and bouillon cubes to a large pot and let simmer for a couple minutes to allow the bullion cubes to dissolve.
  2. Chop parsley, add to post when the cubes have started to break apart.
  3. Add bacon bits, pink Himalayan salt, pepper, Accent to the mixture
  4. Dice potatoes, carrots, and cellary. Add to pot.
  5. Let it simmer on low for a 15 minutes before starting to mix the knoephlas.
  6. Put knoephla ingredients in a large bowl and knead until combined. Do not be afraid to add a bit more milk if the dough is too dry. Just a splash should do. Do not add extra flour if your dough is a bit wet after adding more milk.
  7. Once you are ready to add your knoephlas, bring the stove up to high so the soup has a rolling boil.
  8. Pinch off a half-dollar size of dough and plop it into the boiling soup. Stir when necessary. Continue doing this until the dough is used up.
  9. Let it simmer for five more minutes on medium heat while you clean the knoephla dough off your hands.
  10. Premix heavy cream and milk before adding to the pot. Stir one final time after adding cream and milk and your soup is ready to eat.
  11. Enjoy!

If you ever find yourself in Jamestown, North Dakota the best place in all of the state to get knoephla soup is the Depot Cafe.

Kroll’s Diner in Bismarck, Fargo, Mandan, and Minot also have a pretty good knoephla soup!

Many of the other locally owned restaurants have knoephla on their menu too. If you don’t see it, be sure to ask!

Have you heard of Knoephla Soup? Does your grandmother make the best? Would you try this recipe?

Tell me in the comments below or tweet me!

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      Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures (2024)

      FAQs

      Knoephla Soup Recipe | Chasing Departures? ›

      Knoephla soup will keep a few days in the fridge, but be sure to reheat it slowly or the cream could break. Also, if you plan on freezing or pressure canning it, leave out the dairy and add it when you are ready to eat.

      How long is knoephla soup good for in the fridge? ›

      Knoephla soup will keep a few days in the fridge, but be sure to reheat it slowly or the cream could break. Also, if you plan on freezing or pressure canning it, leave out the dairy and add it when you are ready to eat.

      What does Knoephla translate to in English? ›

      Knoephla are little dumplings. The term comes from a German word that means little knob or button.

      What is the history of Knoephla? ›

      Literally translated into 'Little Button' and is a traditional German dumpling. It is a small cousin of the more popular German dumpling Spätzle. To bring it even more regional, Spätzle and Knöpfle is a Swabian regional food with a history that goes back to the early 18th century.

      What is the most popular soup in German? ›

      Common soups in German restaurants include oxtail, beef or chicken broth with noodles, dumplings, or rice, goulash, split pea, cream of asparagus, turtle soup (Echte Schildkrötensuppe) and cream of lobster.

      Why is Chinese soup so good? ›

      Made with natural ingredients such as herbs, plants and meats, Chinese soups are filling and tasty, and can help maintain your weight. You can drink Chinese soups in place of snacks, or simply have them as meal replacements.

      Can you buy Knoephla? ›

      Many of them are from Kroll's dinner, which has a killer version that you can supposedly buy by the bucket (?!), just in case you find yourself at one of those. This is probably one of the only areas where you can buy frozen knoephla at the grocery store, but not to worry, they are very easy to make.

      Can I eat soup after 7 days? ›

      A general rule of thumb is that soup can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days, but you should always taste your dish before deciding to reheat. A clear, vegetable-based soup with some acidity, such as tomatoes, may last longer. Chicken soup usually lasts three to five days.

      Where does Knoephla come from? ›

      While Knoephla is German in origin, I think this soup has evolved to being one of the few true North Dakota dishes. It is served across North Dakota and is only marginally known outside of our region. If you want to make your own Knoephla Soup, I have just the recipe for you!

      How do you pronounce Knoephla soup? ›

      Knoephla (pronounce nip-fla) Soup is a traditional German soup loved for it's little dumplings floating among the potatoes and carrots in this hearty stew.

      What is potato in Swiss German? ›

      Most Germans call it Kartoffel, but Härdöpfu (with many variations on spelling and pronnunciation) is one of the more common Swiss German words for potato.

      What does broiler mean in German? ›

      [ˈbrɔɪləʳ] noun. 1. (= chicken) Brathähnchen nt , (Gold)broiler m (dial)

      What is Wisconsin cheese soup made from? ›

      Place 1 cup chicken broth, carrot, onion and celery in 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until onion is softened. Add 2 cups chicken broth, milk, cheese, and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

      Who invented chicken and dumpling soup? ›

      By the mid-1800s, a variety of dumpling and meat dishes began to appear in southern cookbooks and a recipe of chicken stewed with dumplings was first published in 1879 by Marion Cabell Tyree in a cookbook called “Housekeeping in Old Virginia.” Many historians are also quick to point out that these recipes were cooked ...

      What are kniffles? ›

      German Dumplings (Spaetzle or Kniffles) for Soup or Saute.

      What is the nutritional value of Knoephla soup? ›

      Nutrition Facts

      1 cup: 249 calories, 13g fat (8g saturated fat), 57mg cholesterol, 762mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.

      What soup is Ohio known for? ›

      Ohio: Red Tomato-Garlic Soup.

      What is the Chinese soup with noodles called? ›

      Lanzhou (hand-pulled) beef noodle – (兰州拉面, lanzhou lāmiàn), also called Lanzhou lāmiàn. It is made of stewed or red braised beef soup, beef broth, vegetables and Chinese noodles. Spring noodle soup (阳春面/陽春麵 yángchūn mian) – white noodles in soup with vegetables. It is one of the most popular and simple Chinese snacks.

      What nationality is mulligatawny soup? ›

      Although considered an Indian soup, Mulligatawny Mughlai soup is part Indian and part British. This soup got invented during colonial rule when the British kept requesting the soup as the first course. Originally this soup was just a thin sauce. But it bulks with vegetables and meat to suit British taste over time.

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