Warm up with some knoephla soup

by HPR Contributor | Dec 12, 2018 | Food

Us North Dakotans love our Knoephla soup. I am no exception. I have fond childhood memories of sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen making this dumpling soup. From then until today, my taste buds go into overdrive whenever I even think about the delicious soup. And for a dish that is so good, you would be surprised that it is almost unknown outside of our area. Today, I am going to talk about Knoephla soup. Specifically, I am going to share some history of the soup and give a recipe so you can start making this wonderful dish today.

Don’t Know What Knoephla Soup is?
Maybe you just moved to North Dakota or for whatever reason; just haven’t heard of, or tried, this soup. Knoephla soup is a dumpling soup that is German in origin. It is served in a chicken stock and usually contains celery, carrots, and potatoes. Some people, however, are fervent advocates of either including or excluding certain ingredients.

If you want to give Knoephla soup a test run, get on down to Wurst Beer Hall, Kroll’s Diner, or ask your local diner if they serve it. There are great places all across North Dakota that serve excellent Knoephla soup.

Am I spelling Knoephla Wrong?
I have performed extensive research from very authoritative sources (church cookbooks) and I have come to the conclusion that there is no right way to spell Knoephla. Knefla, Knephla, Knoephla, and Knopfle are all legitimate ways to spell the word. I can tell you that the origin of the word is German and it was originally Knöpfle, but it seems rare to find that spelling in any English cookbook. Knöpfle literally means “little button” and is closely related to the German Späetzle dumpling.

Knoephla Dumplings and Knophla Soup Are Separate
Growing up, I only knew the idea of Knoephla as something that goes in soup. Some of you, I am sure, already know this, but this just isn’t the only way these dumplings are served. You will find people that serve the dumplings alone with butter or even as a skillet dish with German Sausage and Sauerkraut. Knoephla is the dumpling, but North Dakotans have seemed to most embrace this German dumpling in a soup.

Knöpfle Migration from Germany To North Dakota
Traditions and tastes tend to migrate with people and that is why we have embraced the dumpling. While many Germans have found their way to North Dakota through various important and interesting stories, I am going to talk about the German-Russian migration that many North Dakotans have a commonality with.

As of 2009, almost 50% of North Dakota had German ancestry (me included) and 30% have Norweigan ancestry (me too). While there are other Germans that found their way to North Dakota, a considerable influx of the German population into this state came via Russia.Catherine the Great had tracts of land along a river that she sought to make productive. To help cultivate this land into production, in the late 1700s she wooed Germans to the area with promises of religious freedom, free land, and they would avoid Russian conscription. Not only was all of this promised to them, but all of their heirs, so their kids could not be drafted either.

Many of these families were of a German region called Swabia. Swabians had experience of working land near the Rhine river, so it seemed like a natural fit. Over time, many Germans immigrated to Russia with these promises of freedom.As time went on, the promises started being broken and their lives became more difficult. They were becoming peasants, exclusions were being removed, and their sons were being drafted into the military. By the late 1800s, America had offers of free land and religious freedom, as well. The same people decided to pick up and move in search of freedom and to homestead places like North Dakota.Since tastes and traditions tend to migrate with people, the Knöpfle dumpling moved along with them. And our region was perfect for cultivating the soup we know today. All of the ingredients in a modern Knoephla soup are things that would have been available to our settlers and crops that could have been stored in the cellar for winter food.

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!

HPR Recipe

Knoephla Soup

The creamy German-Russian dumpling soup that became a North Dakota staple.

Prep20 min
Cook45 min
Total1 hr 5 min
Serves8
CuisineGerman-Russian

Ingredients

For the soup

4 tablespoons butter
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 medium potatoes, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
Salt to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the dumplings

2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a large pot, add the butter and put on low to allow the butter to melt.
Once melted, add the carrots and celery.
Cook on low for 5 minutes.
Stir in 1/4 cup flour.
Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the soup and mix to incorporate the flour.
Add the rest of the stock.
Add the potatoes.
Turn to medium-high and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, make the dumplings: mix all dumpling ingredients in a bowl and combine well.
Divide the dough into two pieces to make it easier to work with.
Roll each piece out with your hand into a rope about 1 inch in diameter, sprinkling with flour if needed.
Cut the ropes into 1-inch dumpling pieces and set aside.
Add additional salt to the soup as needed.
Once the potatoes are tender, add the dumplings to the soup.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Add the cream and stir.
Serve.

Recipe and photo by Ben Myhre of Ramshackle Pantry. Originally published in High Plains Reader, December 12, 2018.

[Ben is the mind and the taste buds behid the food blog “Ramshackle Pantry,” https://ramshacklepantry.com/knoephla-soup-recipe/…

Knoephla 101

Knoephla Soup FAQ

What is knoephla soup?

Knoephla soup is a thick, creamy chicken-and-potato soup filled with small, chewy flour dumplings called knoephla. It came to the Dakotas with German-Russian immigrants in the late 1800s and is now considered one of the few true North Dakota dishes.

Is knoephla soup German or Norwegian?

It is German. More precisely it is German-Russian: the dish came with Germans, many from the Swabia region, who farmed in Russia before homesteading in North Dakota. The Norwegian mix-up is understandable, since North Dakota has deep Norwegian roots too, but lefse and lutefisk are the Norwegian contributions. Knoephla is German.

What does knoephla mean in German?

Knoephla comes from the German word Knöpfle, which means “little button.” It describes the small, bite-sized dumplings, which are close cousins of German spaetzle.

How do you pronounce knoephla?

Most North Dakotans say NEF-la. The K is silent and the “oe” sounds like the short e in “bed.”

How do you spell knoephla? Is it knefla, knephla or nefla?

There is no single correct English spelling. The German original is Knöpfle, and in Dakota church cookbooks and diner menus you will find knoephla, knephla, knefla, knoefla, kneophla and knoepfle. You will also see it written phonetically as nefla, neffla or nifla. They all mean the same dumpling soup.

What is in knoephla soup?

The soup is butter, celery, carrots and potatoes simmered in chicken stock, thickened with a little flour and finished with heavy cream. The dumplings are just flour, eggs, milk and salt. Many families also add onion. For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.

What is the difference between knoephla and spaetzle or gnocchi?

Spaetzle is made from a loose batter that is pressed or dropped into boiling water, giving small, irregular noodles. Knoephla uses a stiffer dough that is rolled into ropes and cut into one-inch pieces, so it is firmer and chewier. Gnocchi is Italian and usually made from potato, while knoephla dough has no potato in it.

Can you freeze knoephla soup?

Yes, with one caveat. Cream-based soups can turn grainy when thawed, so for the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the cream and stir the cream in when you reheat it. Uncooked dumplings freeze well: spread the cut pieces on a floured sheet pan, freeze until solid, then bag them. Drop them into simmering soup straight from the freezer and add a couple of minutes of cooking time.

Where can I get knoephla soup in Fargo?

Kroll’s Diner is a longtime go-to, and plenty of local diners and cafés run knoephla as a soup of the day, especially in winter. HPR rounded up where to find it in Noshing on knoephla at Fargo restaurants.