Soup: Liver Dumplings

Yum

Soup with liver dumplings, aka Leberknödel Suppe, is such a traditional German soup that brings back so many memories. I remember my Mutti serving this and me always being surprised how good it tasted even though it was liver! Served with some nice fresh crusty homemade artisan bread, it makes a nice light supper.

A typically Bavarian soup, this is usually made with beef or calves liver and a strongly flavored beef broth.

Below are two recipes, first mine and then Dino's (shown above).

1. Oma's Liver Dumplings Soup

Ingredients:

• ½ lb calves liver
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small onion
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ tsp marjoram
• ¼ tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups beef broth (well seasoned)

Instructions:

• Using a food processor, combine the liver, butter, onion, parsley, and seasonings and process until smooth. 
• Add the breadcrumbs and eggs and process until well mixed. 
• Form dumplings, adding a bit more bread crumbs (or flour) if needed, for dumplings to hold together. Form into dumplings.
• Bring broth to boil. Add dumplings and reduce heat to a simmer. Dumplings will float to the top when they are done, about 20 minutes.
• Serve soup, garnished with parsley.
• 4 servings.

2. Dino's  Leberknödel Suppe

Dino Schmidt shared his recipe on our Facebook page.  He's in Germany and can buy his Leberknödel already prepared. Here's his posting and my English translation follows.

Rezept:

1. Die Leberknödel kaufe ich schon fertig.
2. Ich laße die Knödel sehr lange ziehen, erst aufkochen lassen, dann bis zu 3 Stunden köcheln, simmern oder ziehen lassen.
3. Ich würze mit etwas Brühe, Muskatnuß, Petersielie (den brate ich etwas in Butter an).
4. Auch noch hinzu Suppengrün, Kartoffeln, Zwiebel.

Recipe:

1. Use purchased liver dumplings.
2. Simmer on low (very low), for about 3 hours, the dumplings. (Ziehen is like a tea bag sitting in hot water, stewing) 
3. Season with broth and nutmeg. Fry some parsley in butter and add to soup.
4. Add Suppengrün (soup greens), potatoes and onion.

Suppengrün: Is purchased in Germany as a bundle and usually has a leek, a carrot, and some celery root. Parsley, turnips, and onions are sometimes included.

I like the way Dino cooks. It's like a bit of this and a bit of that. Just like my Oma and my Mutti did, and now how I usually cook as well. Thanks, Dino, for sharing this with us!

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What makes these soups so wunderbar? They bring back such wonderful memories of my Mutti's kitchen. So, of course, I had to write my own soup e-cookbook to share with my grandchildren. I know you'll LOVE it, too! There are 84 full-color pages filled with step-by-step instructions and hints. Take a quick peek ...

Sharing these soup recipes from my Mutti and Oma to my own young grandchildren ... that's such a delicious way to pass on our German heritage :)

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Liver Dumpling Soup Tips ...

1. Don't have a food processor? Then use a blender. Or, use a grinder to grind the liver (if you freeze the liver first, this will be easier) 
2. You can season your dumplings in a variety of ways. Try using sage, coriander, basil, zested lemon peel, or nutmeg.
3. Try pork or chicken liver for this.

What a perfect way to include liver into the diet. Liver is a very concentrated source of vitamins and is high in protein. It's well known to be an excellent source of iron, as well.

However, finding liver recipes that are delicious can be difficult. I find it interesting when I hear that children usually love this soup. So, give this one a try. 

Or, try this one. It's been a favorite at our house for many years.

More German Meat Soup Recipes

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Want nutritional information for a recipe? Copy and paste the ingredient list and the number of servings into Calorie Count. It will give you an approximate calculation.

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