Today I’m sharing one of my all time favorite meals with you. This recipe is a simple German peasant dish. It uses the most basic ingredients, potatoes, eggs, flour, onion, and sauerkraut; seasoned with a liberal amount of Hungarian paprika. And it’s delicious!
My parents were both born in Hungary and taken into Germany after the WWII so many of the recipes from my mother are influenced by both cuisines. This is an inexpensive dish that will feed a crowd! These dumplings are the German version of Italian gnocchi. If you love gnocchi, you will enjoy this German version with a little Hungarian thrown in.
When my husband and I first met he was not a big fan of this dish. He fondly called them sh*t noodles, LOL. But I on the other hand have a serious love affair with them and I have made them many times over the years. He has actually come to enjoy them and came back for seconds today. With all the leftovers to choose from in the fridge he actually chose these for his lunch.
It does however take some time in the kitchen to prepare. I wouldn’t attempt this on a busy weeknight when you are short on time. Don’t let all the steps scare you, it really is easier to prepare than it looks. Just take your time and enjoy yourself in the kitchen. I spent a lazy afternoon in the kitchen making these and it was well worth the effort! They were delicious!
You can cut down on the time it takes to make this dish by half using leftover mashed potatoes as the base for the dumplings. Check out how to make the worlds fluffiest mashed potatoes here. Be sure to make extra so you can use them to make these dumplings the next day.
If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, begin by cooking potatoes until they are tender and allow them to cool to room temperature. Peel the cooked potatoes and pass them through a potato ricer or mash them with a potato masher.
Mix mashed potatoes with 2 eggs and a cup of flour. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Knead the dough with your hands.
Keep adding flour, a little at a time, until you get a dough that holds together and no longer sticks to your hands or the side of the bowl.
The amount of flour will vary depending on the amount of mashed potatoes you are using. Just add flour a little at a time until the dough holds together and is no longer sticky.
Place the dough onto a well floured surface and continue to knead the dough until it is well combined and holds together. Try not to knead the dough too much, knead it just until it holds together and you can form it into a ball.
TIP: Add more flour if the dough won’t come together for you. Use the least amount possible, your goal is to have a dough that is light but holds together.
Take a fist sized piece of dough and roll it out into a long rope about an inch in diameter.
Cut rope of dough into 1 inch pieces.
Using your hands, roll each into a long finger shaped piece.
Continue until you have rolled out all the dough.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Drop small batches of the dumplings into the just simmering water, about 1-2 dozen at a time. Cook until they float to the top and then let them cook for another minute.
Remove the dumplings from the water with a slotted spoon and place them on a large platter in a single layer to prevent them from sticking together.
Now it’s time to prepare the sauerkraut. Heat vegetable oil in a sauté pan and cook diced onions until soft and translucent.
Add pepper to the onions and stir to combine.
Add sauerkraut to the pan and cook until heated through.
Sauté sauerkraut over medium heat until liquid cooks away.
Stir in paprika. Cover and keep warm while you finish cooking the dumplings.
In a large frying pan heat butter and sauté the boiled dumplings until golden brown and crisp on all sides.
Frying the dumplings gives them a wonderful texture with a great chew; a crisp exterior with a soft, tender interior. Fried dough…my favorite!
Combine fried dumplings with the sauerkraut mixture and toss to combine.
Homemade potato dumplings paired with the tanginess of the sauerkraut is such a delicious combination and the paprika gives this dish the most beautiful color!
I hope you give this recipe a try. It’s total comfort food for me and brings back so many memories of my mother and my childhood. It’s a simple peasant dish and was always one of my favorite meals that my mother often cooked for us on Friday’s during lent.
Let me know in the comments if you decide to give this recipe a try and how it turns out for you. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have on how to make the dumplings. Enjoy!
Schupfnudeln mit Kraut
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs russet potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- 1-2 cups flour
- salt & pepper
- pinch nutmeg
- ½ stick butter
- 1 jar sauerkraut
- 1-2 tsp Hungarian paprika
Instructions
Make dumplings:
- Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender. Drain and cool for several hours. Potatoes can also be baked, until tender.
- Peel the cooked potatoes and pass them through a potato ricer or mash with a potato masher.
- Mix potatoes with the eggs and the flour. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Continue to knead the dough until firm.
- Using your hands, shape the potato mixture into fingers. If the dough sticks to your hands, dust them with flour.
- Bring water to barely a boil in a large pot. Drop small batches of the dumplings into the just simmering water. Cook until they float on the top. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them onto a plate.
Make sauerkraut:
- Heat oil in a sauté pan and cook onions until soft and translucent.
- Add pepper and sauerkraut and stir to combine. Cook until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
- In another pan heat the butter and sauté the boiled dumplings until golden brown and crisp on all sides.
- Add cooked dumplings to sauerkraut and toss to combine.
Did You Make This?
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