Liver dumpling soup
Leberknödelsuppe is a classic of Bavarian and Austrian inns, often served as the first course of Sunday lunch. Large, soft dumplings of minced liver, stale rolls soaked in milk, onion and marjoram, served in hot, clear beef broth with chives. The dumplings are tender and fragrant, and marjoram and lemon zest soften the liver flavour. They are cooked in salted water, not in the broth — so the broth stays clear.
Your own work in that: 10 min.
- Soaking the rolls 15 min
- Preparation 15 min
- Mixture and resting 20 min
- Shaping 10 min
- Cooking the dumplings 25 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSoak the rolls
Cut the rolls into 1 cm cubes, pour over the warm milk, stir and leave 15 minutes to soak.
Ingredients: 4 pcs stale white rolls · 150 ml warm milk · 250 g pork or beef liver · 1 pcs onion · 20 g butter · ¼ bunch parsley · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ pcs lemon, grated zest · 2 tbsp breadcrumbs if needed · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Stale rolls — fresh ones turn to mush.Soften the onion
Chop the onion finely and soften it in the butter, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped parsley at the end. Cool.
Ingredients: 4 pcs stale white rolls · 150 ml warm milk · 250 g pork or beef liver · 1 pcs onion · 20 g butter · ¼ bunch parsley · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ pcs lemon, grated zest · 2 tbsp breadcrumbs if needed · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Mince the liver
Trim the liver of membranes and veins and mince it finely or chop it very finely with a knife.
Ingredients: 4 pcs stale white rolls · 150 ml warm milk · 250 g pork or beef liver · 1 pcs onion · 20 g butter · ¼ bunch parsley · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ pcs lemon, grated zest · 2 tbsp breadcrumbs if needed · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Mix the dumpling mixture
Combine the rolls with the liver, onion, eggs, marjoram, lemon zest, salt, pepper and nutmeg and work by hand into an even mixture. Rest 15–20 minutes. If it is too soft to shape, add breadcrumbs.
Ingredients: 4 pcs stale white rolls · 150 ml warm milk · 250 g pork or beef liver · 1 pcs onion · 20 g butter · ¼ bunch parsley · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ pcs lemon, grated zest · 2 tbsp breadcrumbs if needed · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
The mixture should hold together in wet hands.Cook a test dumpling
Towards the end of the resting time, bring a wide pan of salted water to the boil and lower the heat so it barely trembles. Cook one small walnut-sized test dumpling for about 5 minutes — if it falls apart, add a spoonful of breadcrumbs to the mixture.
Ingredients: 4 pcs stale white rolls · 150 ml warm milk · 250 g pork or beef liver · 1 pcs onion · 20 g butter · ¼ bunch parsley · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ pcs lemon, grated zest · 2 tbsp breadcrumbs if needed · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Shape the dumplings
With wet hands shape 8 smooth balls about 6 cm across (about 100 g each).
Ingredients: 4 pcs stale white rolls · 150 ml warm milk · 250 g pork or beef liver · 1 pcs onion · 20 g butter · ¼ bunch parsley · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ pcs lemon, grated zest · 2 tbsp breadcrumbs if needed · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Wet hands — the balls come out smooth.Simmer 25 minutes
Lower the dumplings into the barely trembling water and cook with the lid ajar 25 minutes. The water must not boil, or the dumplings will break up. Cut one dumpling open: the inside should be greyish brown with no pink (a thermometer pushed into the very centre should read at least 71°C). The liver and raw eggs must be cooked through; if the centre is pink, cook another 5 minutes.
Ingredients: 4 pcs stale white rolls · 150 ml warm milk · 250 g pork or beef liver · 1 pcs onion · 20 g butter · ¼ bunch parsley · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ pcs lemon, grated zest · 2 tbsp breadcrumbs if needed · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Serve in hot broth
While the dumplings cook, bring the broth to the boil. Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon, put two in each deep plate, ladle over the hot broth and scatter with chives.
Ingredients: 1500 ml clear beef broth · ½ bunch chives
Before you start
Which liver
In Bavaria beef or pork liver is used, and calf's liver is the mildest. Chicken liver gives a looser mixture and the dumplings break up more easily.
Fried version
The same mixture is also shaped into flat patties (Leberpflanzerl), fried in butter over medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. They are served with potato salad.
Making ahead
Keep the cooked, cooled dumplings in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze them. Reheat thawed dumplings in the broth for 10 minutes, until hot right through.
