Homemade Chicken Soup with Spatzle Recipe

Fighting cold and flue season or simply  cold weather? Homemade chicken soup is a favorite comfort food that is  even better when made with this easy spatzle recipe. Try it today!

A simple, warm, hearty dinner is perfect after an evening spent slowly freezing in the stands of a little league game or getting soaked to the bone on the soccer sidelines.

The phrase “comfort food” is often code for “unhealthy junk” in the American diet. One way to eat healthier without giving up your favorite foods is by cooking from scratch. You can eliminate unnecessary ingredients and preservatives while preparing your favorite meals.

That’s right, home cooking can keep you healthy!

I ditched store bough egg noodles and began making from-scratch spatzle to dress up leftover roast chicken. Spatzle are a simple egg noodle made from flour, milk and eggs. The dough is pressed onto a wooden cutting board and then scrapped into boiling water where it quickly to turns into a soft, chewy noodle.

Chicken Soup with Spatzle Recipe

When we have Crazy Easy Roast Chicken in the Slow Cooker for dinner I save the leftover meat in the fridge and use the carcass to make bone broth overnight in the crock pot.  I strain the broth in the morning and refrigerate until dinner time then I bring 3 quarts of chicken broth to a boil, season it with rosemary or thyme and make chicken spatzle soup.

The rustic noodles cook right in the broth, giving them an extra boost of flavor. I toss in a few vegetables and the leftover chicken meat for a simple but hearty meal. Comfort food at its finest!

It’s the perfect way to use every bit of your groceries while eating well.

What is Spatzle?

The noodles are found in traditional cuisines across Eastern Europe, but I am most familiar with the German version that is often served alongside sausage and mustard for a simple evening meal.

I first tasted spatzle at the home of a French friend who had spent many years living in Germany. The delicious noodles were a hit with my kids (total carb lovers) and I was amazed at how quick and easy they were to make.

No Special Equipment Needed

Commercial spatzle makers are sold in stores but I prefer to use a cutting board and a knife to make the rustic noodles. This prevents me from having to buy one more piece of kitchen equipment and make me feel like a kitchen guru

A wooden cutting board works best for spatzle. You lightly flour the board, cover it with a strip if dough and then cut or scrape long, thin strips into the boiling broth. The spatzle are done when they rise to the surface of the broth, this takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

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Homemade Chicken Soup and Spatzle

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Spatzle are a simple egg noodle made from flour, milk and eggs. Cook them in chicken broth with basic vegetables and leftover chicken for a delicious homemade soup.

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: German American

Servings: 5

Calories: 540 kcal

Author: Bren

Ingredients

Spatzle Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs

Soup Ingredients

• 8-10 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp thyme or rosemary (dried)
• ½-1 tsp turmeric (optional)
• 2 cups cooked chicken (diced)
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
• 1 cup diced celery (optional)
• 1 cup dice carrots (optional)
• 1/2 cup diced green onion (optional)

Instructions

1. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl. Combine white ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, continuing to stir until smooth. If you need more liquid add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
2. When the batter is smooth and soft, cover it with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Bring broth to a boil and add rosemary or thyme, turmeric, diced celery, and diced carrots.
4. Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and spread ¼ of the dough down the middle, 2-3 inches wide.

5. Slice and scrape thin strips of dough into the boiling broth. When the spatzle rises to the top it is finished. Use a slotted spoon to remove it to a clean bowl. Continue cooking until all the dough is prepared. Keep spatzle warm in bowl. 

6. Add leftover chicken, frozen peas, and green onions to the remaining broth, heat until peas are tender. Stir cooked spatzle into the broth and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Chicken Soup and Spatzle

Amount Per Serving

Calories 540

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I hope you try spatzle and chicken soup. It’s a delicious and healthy home cooking that satisfies when the need for comfort food strikes.

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