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Canederli in Brodo (Italian Dumplings in Broth)

Canederli In Brodo (Italian Dumplings in Broth)
Image Credit:
Becky Luigart-Stayner
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener
Yield
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Category
Soups, Stews, Chowders
Course
Lunch
Main Dish
Soup
Credit
Ann Hicks, Indianapolis, Indiana
Sources
The Old Farmer's Almanac Readers' Best Recipes

Canederli in Brodo is a classic bread dumpling soup from the mountains of northern Italy. Rustic, savory dumplings made from stale bread are traditionally studded with speck (smoky Alpine cured ham) and cheese, then served in a warm meat broth.

This recipe has been lovingly preserved across generations, coming to us from my mother, Ann, and her mother, Gelinda Dalpiaz. As the mother of ten children—with my mom being the tenth—Grandma Dalpiaz was a master at turning stale bread and basic kitchen leftovers into a delicious, nutritious, and incredibly hearty soup that could feed a crowd.

”My mother brought this Italian Dumpling recipe from the mountainous Trentino Alto-Adige region of northern Italy. The canederli isn’t really a dumpling; it’s more like a simple ball of bread, usually stuffed with bacon and cheese cooked in meat broth.Today, we usually serve Canederli in Brodo for soup at a family dinner. It’s warm, delicious, nutritious, and hearty!“ 
–Ann Dalpiaz

Ingredients
1 Italian bread loaf (10 to 14 slices, crust removed, slightly dried)
1-1/2 cups warm milk
8 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 pound Genoa salami or prosciutto, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 to 7 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 to 1 cup all-purpose flour
chicken broth, heated

Instructions

  1. Moisten bread with milk. Squeeze out excess milk.
  2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon with onions for 5 to 8 minutes, or until bacon is crisp. Pour off and discard fat. Set pan aside to cool.
  3. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
  4. Mix together bread, onions and bacon, eggs, salami, Parmesan, 4 to 5 tablespoons parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add enough flour to form soft balls about 3 inches in diameter. (You can make balls another size but must adjust cooking time.)
  5. Drop balls, one at a time, into boiling water. Simmer 3-inch balls for 15 minutes, or until each puffs up and rises to the top. Remove balls carefully with a slotted spoon.
  6. Serve one or two balls per bowl, covered with heated broth. Garnish with remaining parsley.

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

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Comments

<span>Leah Okeson</span> Sat, 01/07/2023 - 16:20
Can the dumplings be kept in the hot broth or will they fall apart?
<span>Daniela</span> Tue, 02/14/2023 - 11:55
Dumplings in general should be stored out of the fluids. In Bavaria we often used the leftover dumplings by slicing and frying them with scrambled eggs, cooked soup meats or bacon and herbs , which was called "Katzngschrei" (cat screams)
<span>Lynne</span> Sat, 10/29/2022 - 19:18
My grandmother came from the same area of Italy. She made these for us and now my sister and I make them for our families. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
<span>Mary M</span> Tue, 09/14/2021 - 08:29
My grandfather was from the same town...Trento. Sadly that area was hit very hard with COVID. He came to America when his parents died of the flu and he wound up in Ohio working as a coal miner. He met my American born grandmother and she taught him how to read and write English. The family moved to. NY during the depression. My mom made this often, but as a kid I didn’t like them. Now, as a grandmother myself, I appreciate and enjoy these wonderful recipes and family heritage.
<span>Julia</span> Tue, 12/10/2019 - 08:15
I am from the same area in Italy, and was so happily surprised to see this recipe, I make it for the holidays, my family love it.