German Chicken Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Combine stock or bouillon and water in large kettle; add sugar and rice or barley.
• Rinse chicken; drain; pat dry.
• Rub lightly with salt.
• Place chicken in bouillon kettle.
• Cover; bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and cook slowly until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Remove chicken.
• Strain broth through colander, mashing rice or barley through with liquid.
• Melt butter or chicken fat in soup kettle; blend flour smoothly with it.
• Stir strained soup into fat and flour mixture.
• Let cook 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add 1 cup cream; stir and bring to a gentle boil, but do not let boil.
• Beat yolks with remaining 1/4 cup cream and stir into soup.
• Add salt and pepper if needed.
• In each soup plate put a few even strips of breast of the boiled chicken.
• Pour hot soup over.
• Soup should be creamy, pale yellow, but not too thick.
• Serves 6.
• Luchow’s German Cookbook.

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
• Add chicken and vegetables (except leeks and parsley).
• Add salt, pepper and bouillon cubes as well as Maggi.
• Cook for 1-2 hours until chicken starts falling off the bone.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool off until you can strip it off the bones and put back into the pot.
• In the meantime add the sliced leeks and any other frozen vegetables you like (corn, peas, brussel sprouts or frozen cauliflower work well).
• Add noodles and fresh parsley and cook all for another 10 - 15 minutes.
• Season to taste and serve with fresh baguette.

Steps:

• Mix these together until sticky.
• Drop into bubbling soup or stew, broth or water. (see below for ideas).
• Dumplings will rise to the surface as they cook; remove from liquid with a slotted spoon (if sautéing in another pan); set aside in a bowl (keep warm).
• MAKE THE DUMPLINGS #1: This method results in very small, stringy-ish dumplings and is great for soups or stews. Spoon several tablespoons of batter into a colander, then with the back of the spoon--press the batter through the holes into the bubbling liquid.
• METHOD #2: This method forms larger dumpling pieces (dime & quarter size) and is great for soups or stews, too -- but especially good if you want to saute the dumplings afterwards (more on that in a minute). Using a teaspoon and butter knife, scoop up a spoonful of batter, then use the knife to cut off little dibs and dabs, using the knife to also push the dibs into the hot liquid. If the knife or spoon gets messy, just dip into the hot liquid.
• SERVING IDEAS: We love these in chicken-dumpling soup (use your regular chicken soup recipe -- skip the egg noodles and make these dumplings instead). OR scoop out the larger dumplings (Method #2), and saute in butter or olive oil along with kielbasa or other sausage and LOTS of onion ring slices. OR saute some fresh veggies, then add the dumplings -- heaven!
• VARIATIONS: Add several pinches of your favorite herbs along with the flour to enhance the soup, stew or saute dish.
• Chef's Note: Altho' this is kind of putzy, it is well worth the effort and SO different from regular pasta-noodles.

Steps:

• Slice hard rolls thinly and place in a large bowl; set aside to dry overnight.
• Add the water to the chicken, season to taste and cook slowly for several hours.
• An hour or so before serving time, make soup balls as follows:
• Soak bread in warm milk. Bread should be moist, but not soggy.
• If using, fry onion and bacon in butter until onion is tender (If not using skip to step 7).
• Stir onion and bacon into moist bread.
• Add parsley flakes, eggs, salt and pepper to bread.
• Stir to combine all ingredients.
• Shape into large dumplings.
• Drop into boiling soup.
• Simmer uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until dumplings rise to surface.

Steps:

• In a large kettle or Dutch oven, brown chicken pieces in oil. Add the broth, bay leaves, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil; skim foam. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones; discard bones and skin and cut chicken into bite size pieces. Cool broth and skim off fat., Return chicken to broth along with the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and barley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer 8-10 minutes longer. Remove bay leaves. , In a small bowl, combine first three spaetzle ingredients. Stir in the egg, water and milk; blend well. Drop batter by 1/2 teaspoonfuls into simmering soup. Cook for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Place chicken in a stock pot, and add enough water to cover. Pour in the chicken broth, and add celery and onions. Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 1 hour to get a good broth.
• When the chicken is cooked through and tender, remove it to a platter and let sit until it is cool enough to handle. Strain broth, and discard celery and onions. Return the broth to the stock pot. Remove chicken meat from the bones, chop or tear into pieces, then return it to the pot also. Bring the broth to a boil, and add carrots.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, water and salt. Gradually add flour until the dough is firm enough to form a ball. You may need more or less flour. Pat the dough out on a flat plate. Using a butter knife, cut slices of dough off the edge of the plate so they are about 2 to 3 inches long. Allow them to fall directly into the boiling broth.
• Once the carrots are tender, the soup is ready. Sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve.