There must be an unwritten rule that if you do any time in North Dakota, you have to eat Knoephla Soup. This is the VERY best comforting noodle soup you’ll ever have! It’s made with heavy cream and some amazing dumplings.
Knoephla soup is perfect during the winter months and it’s on heavy rotation in our house. In fact, we sometimes make this soup up to 3 or 4 times a month. Definitely a family favorite!
What is Knoephla Soup?
Knoephla is a cream-based potato soup with little noodles or dumplings (the German word for these is knöpfle – meaning knobs). It is thick and hearty and oh-so delicious.
The soup also includes chopped carrots, celery, and onion. It’s super-flavorful and has the perfect balance of seasoning
I’m a protein girl so you may add cooked chicken to this soup as well. My sister and grandma both swear off the chicken in this soup so it works if you’re vegetarian. But if you are looking for protein… I assure you, the soup is yummy with chicken. Rotisserie chicken works really well!
The soup instructions are pretty standard if you’ve ever made a soup in your life.
For the dumplings, the best way to cut them is to roll the dough into ropes and cut them with a pastry cutter.
Here is a short video of the dumpling-making process.
Now for the details of the recipes…
Homemade Knoephla Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 3 c. water
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- 3 c. milk
- 2 c. chicken broth
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 c. heavy cream added right before serving
- 2 c. chicken breast cooked and cut up, optional
For the Dumplings
- 2 c. flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ c. milk
Instructions
- In a medium-large saucepan, melt the butter. Sauté the onions, celery, & carrots for about 10 minutes or until the onions are cooked and transparent.
- Add water, potatoes, milk, broth, and seasoning to the saucepan.
- Prepare your dumblings while your mixture is at a low boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost cooked.
To Prepare Dumplings
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the ingredients for the dumplings.
- Roll the dough into ropes ½″ in diameter.
- Cut these ropes into ¼″ lengths.
- When the potatoes are almost cooked, drop the cut dough pieces individually into the boiling soup.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the dough is cooked through.
- Add the heavy cream and serve.
Nutrition
The leftovers for this soup keep very well and it heats up nicely.
If you’re looking for some other delicious soup recipes, I highly recommend my ham and potato soup, pumpkin cauliflower soup, or my chicken and wild rice soup.
Enjoy!
Hi! I was visiting my son at Minot AFB, ND last Christmas and had this soup at a local diner. DELICIOUS. Can’t wait to try to make it myself! Thanks.
You must have eaten at Krolls! 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
I usually use frozen kneophla but would like to try my own. Instead of heavy cream I use a can of evaporated milk. I always have a can in the pantry. Works great!
Hope you like the homemade noodles…they are pretty tasty!
Hi Julie,
Thank you for the recipe. I’m excited to try homemade noodles. Where did you live in ND? I live in Williston. 🙂
Hi Laura, I hope you like the recipe! I lived all over the place in ND, (Cooperstown, Bottineau, Minot, and Williston). Love that state and miss it!
Thank you for your recipe of knoephla. I add baking powder. I also fry cabbage ,onion and bacon with butter. Then add the boiled dumplings to lightly brown. You can add sausage slices. Delish
Keep some sliced dough to freeze for adding to chicken and cream soup at a later date.
I have been looking for a recipe for this soup forever!! I had it at NDSU and Krolls diner and became obsessed with it! Can’t wait to try it out!!
I just got back from Devils Lake, ND! (Family reunion) I finally tried kneophla soup and it was pretty good, but I didn’t like how the kneophla were just thick square blocks. I’ve made plenty of homemade egg noodles though and I like how you do yours smaller.
In going to have to give this recipe a try! It’s nearly identical to my chicken and egg noodles recipe. Only difference is that chicken and egg noodles is served over mashed potatoes and kneophla has the potato in the soup.
Hey Julie, in originally from Drake nd, this is my first time making this homemade, in excited, when do I add the milk or buttermilk or half n half? I miss North dakota… Were do you stay now? In in Colorado
How many servings would you say?
This was a super easy recipe. My in-laws came from Zap and Beulah area so we were anxious to try it. Very good!
Thank you Cinda! Yes, we love this recipe and have been making it for years! I hope it passed their tastebuds with flying colors as authentic ND!