Would you like to try a more unusual soup extra? Austrian cuisine has the answer: Grießnockerl (semolina dumplings). The fine-grained basic mixture can be used to create a wonderful accompaniment and Grießnockerl are a very popular extra added to fortifying beef broth. To ensure the semolina dumplings are made according to tradition they must fulfil three criteria: they must have three edges and be fluffy and not too big. Guten Appetit!

Metainformationen

Ingredients

For the beef broth:

  • 500 g meat for making a broth (beef, diced)
  • 1 onion (halve)
  • beef bone (according to taste)
  • 1 bunch soup greens (a little parsley, carrot, leek, turnip etc)
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2, 25 l water
  • salt
  • chives or parsley (to garnish)

For the semolina dumplings:

  • 40 g butter (room temperature)
  • 1 egg
  • salt
  • pepper
  • nutmeg (freshly ground)
  • 100 g semolina
  • butter (for brushing)

Directions for Beef Broth with Semolina Dumplings

  1. Wash meat, pat dry, dice and place in 2 litres of cold water.
  2. Halve onion and fry in a pan without oil on the cut side.
  3. Wash the beef bone and soup greens in cold water and add to the meat together with the browned onions. Bring the water to the boil and simmer for approx. 2 hours.
  4. Allow the soup to cool and spoon off any excess fat.
  5. Beat the egg white with cold water, slowly stir into the soup and leave to simmer until clear.
  6. Strain the soup through a tea towel and season with salt.
  7. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley and serve as a clear soup or with one of the following Viennese soup extras.
  8. For the dumlings, beat the butter at room temperature until frothy, separate the egg and stir the egg yolk into the butter. Briefly beat the egg white and gradually mix into the butter mixture.
  9. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir in the semolina. Season to taste and place in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
  10. Now use two spoons to make the typical dumpling shapes.
  11. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Place the dumplings in the water and bring to the boil once again. Place the lid on the pot and leave to simmer for approx. 15 minutes. Once the dumplings have become visibly larger, take out, allow any excess water to drip off and serve in the hot soup.

TIP

Semolina dumplings don’t like being in water which is too hot – therefore never heat them over 97° C/ 200 °F as otherwise the butter will start to coagulate. If you would always like a supply of Grießnockerl soup at home but don’t want to eat ready-made soup, you can also freeze the dumplings and soup and make in advance.

JUST ONE MORE THING

Add a little ham and tangy hard or semi-hard alpine cheese to the basic mixture for especially tasty Grießnockerl!
What would a soup be without something extra added to it? That’s why we have even more of the most classic Austrian soup extras for you: Liver Dumplings, Noodles, Frittaten and Kaiserschöberl.

As the name implies – Beef broth with liver dumplings are made out of liver, bread and seasoning.
Beef Broth with Liver Dumplings is probably the most classic Austrian soup and, as the name implies – they are made out of liver, bread and seasoning.
Noodles are a traditional Austrian soup extra. They spice up our classic Beef broth with noodles.
The ultimate all-round dish which everyone likes – noodles! In Austria they are a favourite soup extra. They spice up our classic Beef Broth with Noodles.
Chopped thin pancake strips added to the soup: Austrian Beef broth with frittaten.
Frittaten (chopped thin pancake strips) are quick and easy to make, cheap and, as we say today, a real soul food. Beef Broth with Fritatten is extremely popular as a starter in Austria.
Beef broth with Kaiserschöberl: light and fluffy and always popular added to hearty soups.
Schöberl are, in their simplicity, regarded as a real deli food. The origins as a soup extra date back to Imperial times and Beef Broth with Kaiserschöberl is still popular today in Austria.

HISTORY BOX

In the Habsburger royal household, the custom of soup eating dates back to the 16th century. The love of beef broth was upheld in the Habsburg family and Empress Maria Theresia liked to eat this as did her grandson Emperor Franz II. Since the Middle Ages beef broth has also been very popular amongst commoners. In farming circles, in particular, filling soups made out of simple ingredients were served several times a day and the fortifying beef broth was saved for holidays and special occasions. As no-one likes to eat the “same old soup”, people started to be creative and added various extras which meant this soup could be eaten almost every day without getting bored. True to the motto, “365 days in the year – 365 times beef broth!”