Kloesschensuppe/ Little Dumpling Soup

Kloesschensuppe is a traditional German soup of tiny, tender dumplings floating in clear beef broth. The dumplings are made from a choux pastry base: butter, salt, and water brought to a boil, flour stirred in until the dough pulls away from the pan, then cooled and enriched with beaten egg, grated Parmesan, and chopped parsley.

The choux technique is what makes these dumplings so light. Cooking the flour in boiling liquid gelatinizes the starch, and the egg added afterward creates steam pockets as the dumplings poach. The result is airy little pillows, nothing like the dense bread dumplings you might expect.

Shape them with two teaspoons into small ovals and poach gently in the hot broth for about five minutes. They puff slightly as they cook.

Pro Tips

• Stir the flour in all at once and keep stirring until the dough forms a ball and pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan. This step is key to the choux structure.
• Let the dough cool before adding the egg. Hot dough will cook the egg on contact and ruin the texture.
• Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Rough water will break apart the delicate dumplings.
• Use good beef stock or veal stock if you can get it. The broth is the soup. Weak stock means a weak bowl.

Variations

• Add a pinch of nutmeg to the dough for a warmer, more traditional German flavor.
• Use chicken broth instead of beef for a lighter version.
• Stir fresh chives into the dough alongside the parsley for a more herbal dumpling.