A hearty German-Russian dumpling soup — potato and vegetable broth loaded with soft drop dumplings, Velveeta, evaporated milk, and crumbled bacon. Bob April shares this recipe from Cindy Sletin.
Ingredients
Soup
4–5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2–3 carrots, grated
2–3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp chicken bouillon
Water to cover
4–8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 cans evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb bacon, fried and chopped
Knephla Dumplings
3½ c flour
1½ c milk
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
Instructions
In a Dutch oven, combine potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and chicken bouillon. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
In a bowl, mix together the flour, milk, egg, and baking powder until a soft dough forms.
Drop the dumpling dough by teaspoonfuls into the boiling soup.
When the dumplings float to the top, remove them and place in cold water. Drain well.
Add the dumplings back to the potato soup.
Simmer for 10–15 minutes to allow the dumplings to fully cook and absorb flavor.
Add the Velveeta cubes and stir until melted.
Stir in the evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped fried bacon and stir to combine.
Salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Serve hot.
Hearty enough for a main dish: Knephla Soup is a full meal in a bowl — dumplings, bacon, potatoes, and a rich cheesy broth. Serve with crusty bread and you need nothing else.
From Cindy Sletin — shared by Bob April.
Knephla (NEF-lah) is a traditional German-Russian comfort food, common in North Dakota. The cold water bath stops the dumplings from overcooking and keeps them tender.
