GERMAN NOODLE & BUTTERBALL SOUP

I would guess that everyone loves at least one tradition. The BBQ on the 4th of July, the mint julep during the Kentucky Derby, the turkey-and each guest’s requisite sides-on Thanksgiving, can all conjure up heart-warming memories while simultaneously placing smiles on our faces. Fond thoughts of family, friends, events, places, and the festive foods of each occasion, powerfully tug on our hearts to reminisce of those experiences again and again. And so it is for me in my recollections surrounding this time-honored soup, which go back as far as I can remember.

When I was a toddler, I recall being in the church kitchen with my grandma, Mom, sister, and other women congregants preparing to make noodles and butterballs from scratch. The effort was part of a fall fundraiser for the church, and something our little mid-western town looked forward to every year, as this soup was a local German Christmas tradition. The noodles and butterballs were very time consuming while also being in high demand-so the endeavor was a mutual benefit to everyone.

Most Western, as well as Eastern Slavic cultures, have some type of bread soup in their historical repertoires. (Reportedly, during the 1930’s, the various dumplings,(knoedel), used by the Polish, Germans, Austrians, and Alsatians became the impetus for the Jewish Matzo Ball soup, as they resettled in those regions.) Initially derived from leftovers and a necessity to stretch ingredients to feed large families, overtime these soups have become soul-satisfying meals filled with uplifting memories of family and treasured traditions.

German Noodle & Butterball Soup

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Servings 8 To 10

Ingredients

  

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Chicken Stock

• 1 Whole Chicken Use a large roasting chicken size
• 1 Onion Quartered
• 4 Celery Stalks Cut into thirds
• 2 Carrot Cut into thirds
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Salt Preferably Sea Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Pepper
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Fresh Thyme Sprigs, 3-4 optional
• 1 Tbsp Whole Allspice Heaping Tbsp
• 5 Quarts Water Or enough to just cover the ingredients in a large 6-8 Qt. stock pot. *Bigger pot=more stock!

Butterballs (Approximately 36 Butterballs)

*See Notes for instructions on Bread Crumbs

• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 1/2 Cups Brown Bread Crumbs Toasted
• 1 Cup White or Wheat Bread Crumbs Toasted
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
• 3 Eggs Beaten
• 7 Tbsp Butter Melted
• Salt & Pepper to taste Approx. a few pinches -1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper

German Noodle & Butterball Soup

• 5-6 Quarts Chicken Stock Home made (from recipe above), or store-bought. *(If using store-bought, add 1 Tbsp. of whole allspice and simmer for 30 minutes.)
• 1 Chicken Pre-Cooked from making the Stock, and Hand-Shredded. (Or store-bought).
• 8-10 Ounces Dried Egg Noodles Thin German Soup Noodles or Noodles of your choice. If you like a thicker egg noodle, use that. *If you like more broth, use less noodles, and vice versa.
• 16-20 Butterballs 2-3 per person

Instructions

 

Chicken Stock

• Wash the chicken, clean out the interior, and place it in a stock pot or Dutch oven.
• Place in the Onion, Celery, Carrots, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, and the Aromatics: Thyme, Bay Leaves, & Allspice.

  *You can place your aromatics in a linen spice bag or as a bundle in some cheese cloth. If you don’t have these items, just place them in with the other ingredients. The stock will be strained after it’s completed.
• Add Water to just cover all the ingredients. Place on a burner over high heat and cover until the water begins to boil. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and let it simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes. (Until the chicken is cooked.)

  If not using right away, turn off the heat and let it sit for 30 minutes or so to cool down slightly, so you can remove the chicken and strain it more easily.
• Carefully remove the Chicken from the pot and place it on a platter.
• Place a large colander over another large pot and strain the liquid stock. *(You can also use cheesecloth for additional clarity in the stock. Just line your colander with cheesecloth.)
• Using another platter, gently separate the chicken from the skin and bones and place the cooked chicken meat on the clean platter. Continue until you have all of the cooked chicken on one platter and the remnants on the other, and then discard them.
• With your hands, gently tear /shred the chicken into strips to place in the soup. If you want them smaller, use a knife to cut them to size. *(At this point, make sure there aren’t any small bones that may have been missed.)
• *At this point you have a terrific chicken stock and flavorful chicken meat for any style of chicken soup, tortilla soup, or this German Butterball Soup, etc. If you want to use just part of the stock, you can save or freeze the rest for a later use. It should keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, and the freezer for 2-3 months.

Butterballs

• *See NOTE on Breadcrumbs

  In a saucepan, heat the Heavy Cream to just under a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the toasted Brown Bread Crumbs only. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
• Place the White Bread Crumbs in a bowl and mix in Allspice and a pinch of Salt and a grind of Pepper. Use a whisk or fork to thoroughly combine.
• To the White Bread Crumbs add in the Melted Butter, Beaten Eggs, and the Brown Bread Crumbs that have been soaking in the Heavy Cream. Mix thoroughly to combine.

  *(It’s best to use a spatula & then half way through finish mixing with your hands. The mixture should stick together in your hand when squeezed.)
• Let the mixture rest for at least 30 minutes before shaping them. (You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate the mixture overnight.)

  Using a Tablespoon, scoop a large walnut sized amount of the mixture into your hand. Using both hands, gently roll the mixture into a ball shape. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

  TEST: Test the first butterball in simmering chicken stock or water to make sure it stays together. *If they fall apart add a tablespoon or two of cream at a time to the mixture until a test-butterball stays together through the cooking time.

  *If you’re not using the Butterballs right away, or within an hour, they should be refrigerated on a tray lined with parchment, otherwise they will stick together.

  *(If you are intending to freeze them, place the balls on a tray lined with parchment that will fit in your freezer. Allow them to begin to freeze on the tray for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a freezer bag. They should last up to 6 months.) When cooking, you can add the frozen butterballs directly to the soup. Just add an additional 10 minutes to the cooking time-about 15 minutes in total.

German Noodel & Butterball Soup

• Heat Chicken Stock to a medium simmer.
• Add the Dried Noodles. Follow the cooking instructions on the package for the timing. They usually take 5-8 minutes.
• Add the Butterballs and allow 5-7 minutes for them to cook through. *They will initially sink to the bottom and come to the surface when ready.
• When the noodles and butterballs are cooked, turn the burner to low and place the chicken back into the soup, allowing it to warm through for a minute or two.
• Serve the soup so that each person receives a nice portion of broth, chicken, noodles, and 2-3 butterballs.
• *The Stock, Chicken, and Butterballs can be done ahead of time and refrigerated separately until you’re ready to make the soup with the noodles and cook the butterballs.

  *If you run low on home made stock before serving, add store-bought chicken bone broth or stock and simmer with your home made stock for about 30 minutes to meld the flavors. Sometimes when we have a crowd of 20 or more, we tend to run low, and this is our go-to fix.

Notes

1. BREAD CRUMBS:

• If you don’t wish to make your own breadcrumbs, you can purchase unflavored breadcrumbs, toast them, and proceed with the recipe. The mixture of the dark bread and white bread is a tradition of our family, however I’ve seen other recipes using all white bread, or purchased breadcrumbs. 

 

• TYPES OF BREAD:
  • It’s best to use bread that is 1-2 days old, just like you would for a stuffing.
  • This recipe uses approximately 1/2 of a loaf-or boule-for the brown bread and slightly less for the white bread. 
  • For the Brown Bread, we like to use dark rye or pumpernickel-WITHOUT caraway seeds. If you cannot find any of these, just use the darkest rye or wheat bread you can find. *(Remember this was peasant food, so I’m sure our Grandmas made due with what they had at times. )
  • For the White Bread, we like to use lighter Rye, again, WITHOUT caraway seeds. Other breads that will work are light wheat or your favorite white bread. I would just stay away from any strong flavored sourdough, as it doesn’t fit this flavor profile. 

•  
• TOASTING:
  • Working with the White and Brown Breads separately, use a food processor to break down the bread into fine crumbs. They should be as fine as possible. 
  • If you do not have a food processor, remove any hard crusts and discard. Use only the middle/softer parts of the breads and grate them on a box grater to get them as fine as possible. 
  • Using 2 sheet pans, place the Brown and White breads on separate pans and toast in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes to evenly toast the crumbs. 
  • When toasted, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15-30 minutes before proceeding with the butterballs. 
  • You can also do this the day before. 

Keyword Chicken Recipes, Chicken Soup

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