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Home » Food » By Country or Region » Western Europe » Germany » German Pea Soup with Egg Dumplings (Erbsensuppe mit Eierschwämmchen)

German Pea Soup with Egg Dumplings (Erbsensuppe mit Eierschwämmchen)

December 29, 2014 by Kimberly Killebrew · 16 Comments

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german pea soup dumplings recipe erbsensuppe

“Pea soup” is the literal translation of this dish but that doesn’t even begin to do it justice.  There is a TON going on here flavor-wise.  With the flavor of caramelized onions and bacon combined with savory leek, carrots, celeriac, potatoes, peas and dumplings, this is a hearty, satisfying, healthy and thoroughly delicious soup that captures the very best of German cooking.

Just as butter, nuts and lemon zest are integral ingredients in German baking, there are several ingredients that combine to give savory dishes that classic “German” taste we know and love.  Those include onions, bacon, leek and celery root (aka, celeriac).  The first two we are are very familiar with in the U.S.   The third one most everyone has heard of but sadly very few cook with it, and the fourth, celery root, is virtually unknown here though you can find it in most grocery stores.  And that’s an unfortunate thing, because there is nothing that elevates a soup from good to great like these two ingredients.  So if it’s been a while since you’ve eaten leek, and if you’ve never tried celeriac before, this is the perfect place to start.

Coupled with dumplings made of dough similar to Spätzle but scooped into small mounds, this is a wonderful, filling, soul-satisfying soup for any time of the year.

german pea soup dumplings recipe erbsensuppe

Let’s get started!

Just another quick note on celery root.  It’s simply marvelous.  Appearance-wise it looks like a big round, tan-colored root vegetable on the outside.  The inside is a firm, whitish flesh.  The flavor resembles celery stalks but not quite.  It’s sweeter in flavor with a very different texture, more potato-like.  It goes great in soups and there are some fantastic creamy celery root salads (recipe to come).

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Okay, let’s get to that soup.  Fry the bacon in a stock pot over medium-high heat until done.  Add the onions and butter.

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Cook the onions until soft and beginning to lightly brown.

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While the onions are cooking, chop the veggies.

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Add the veggies, peas, broth, ham hock, and spices to the pot and give it a stir.  Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

*This recipe uses dried marjoram, another common ingredient in German cooking but a somewhat lesser known herb here in the U.S..

Erbsensuppe-prep-5

While the soup is cooking, prepare the dumplings.  Place all ingredients in a stand mixer.

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Use the paddle attachment on “2” (bread setting) and mix until it comes together in a dough mass.

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Continue to “knead” the dough with the paddle attachment for about 8-10 minutes.

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Use a small spoon to scoop off small pieces of dough (about 2 teaspoon’s worth).

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Drop the pieces of dough into a pot of lightly salted simmering water.  They will float to the bottom.

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Once the dumplings float to the top, cover and lightly simmer for another 5 minutes.

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Scoop out the dumplings with a slotted spoon and add them to the soup.  Let them simmer in the soup for a few more minutes to soak up the flavors.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve sprinkled with a little chopped fresh parsley.

Erbsensuppe-prep-9

Enjoy!  (P.S.  This soup tastes fabulous the next day as well!)

german pea soup dumplings recipe erbsensuppe

5.0 from 1 reviews
German Pea Soup with Egg Dumplings (Erbsensuppe mit Eierschwämmchen)
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
90 mins
Total time
1 hour 45 mins
 
: Kimberly Killebrew, www.daringgourmet.com
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 6 oz bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 10 cups beef broth
  • 14 oz frozen peas
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 large leek, sliced, rinsed and drained
  • 1 small celery root (ie, celeriac), peeled and diced
  • 2 medium potatoes, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • Some chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  • For the Dumplings:
  • ¼ cup butter, melted and at room temperature
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until done. Add the butter and onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
  2. Before the soup is done, making the dumplings: Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on "2" (bread setting) for 8-10 minutes. Use a small spoon to scoop about 2 teaspoon's worth of dough at a time and drop the dumplings into the the boiling water. The dumplings will float to the bottom. Once the dumplings have floated to the top let them simmer another 5 minutes and then use a slotted spoon to remove them and add them to the soup. Let the dumplings simmer in the soup for another 5 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to the soup according to taste.
  3. Serve sprinkled with a little chopped fresh parsley.
3.2.2925

 

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16 Comments →

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16 Responses

  1. Katie says

    February 6, 2022 at 10:06 am

    I can’t find a smoked ham hock. Add more bacon? Really want to try this, didn’t want to invest in all of the ingredients if the ham hock is a deal breaker in this recipe :)

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      February 6, 2022 at 4:16 pm

      Hi Katie, it’s not a deal breaker and adding some more bacon will result in a delicious soup too. Happy cooking!

      Reply
  2. Johanna says

    November 4, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    I make my own similair version of this soup. My question is: Ileft my soup out to cool before refrigration, but completely forgot and left it out over night. Do you know if soup is still good, or should I discard it comepletely?

    Reply
  3. Clare Fletcher says

    May 12, 2020 at 11:03 am

    Leave it to the Germans to create a “pea” soup whose main ingredients are beef broth, ham, potatoes and dumplings. haha This does truly taste like German soups. Made me very nostalgic. Loved it.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 12, 2020 at 10:34 pm

      Lol, Clare, so true! :) I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!

      Reply
  4. Sean says

    November 18, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    I made this tonight, it was amazing! I’ve got a ton left over so i’ll Be eating it for the next few days.

    I used 7 cups of beef broth, and 3 cups of water, forgot the bay leaf, and my dumplings didn’t look as pretty as yours, but everything tasted delicious.

    I had never heard of celeriac before I saw this recipe, so I was a little nervous about how it would taste…. I loved it. It’s like a sweet celery potato.

    I think I’m going to try this recipe again, but put everything in the slow cooker after I finish the onions. I would still cook the dumplings separate of course.

    I’m so glad I found this website! Thank you for these recipes! I’m going to make Schwäbische Käsespätzle next. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 18, 2017 at 11:48 pm

      I’m so happy you enjoyed this, Sean, thank you! I’m equally glad you found our site and hope you continue to enjoy the recipes. Happy cooking! Kind regards, Kimberly

      Reply
  5. Candace Nielson says

    May 6, 2016 at 11:04 pm

    I made this for our family last night and the compliments just kept coming. This is honestly one of the most flavorful soups I’ve ever eaten, it’s delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 6, 2016 at 11:08 pm

      That’s wonderful, Candace, I’m so happy to hear that – thank you!

      Reply
  6. iakwe96 says

    December 31, 2014 at 6:44 am

    I want to try this

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 31, 2014 at 7:35 am

      You’ll love it!

      Reply
  7. Nutty Nutritionist says

    December 30, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    yummy! I love dumplings!!

    Reply
  8. Sandra J. says

    December 30, 2014 at 7:52 am

    Mmmm, I’m loving everything about this soup!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 30, 2014 at 8:00 am

      It’s delicious, Sandra, and perhaps even better the next day!

      Reply
  9. Katherine Thorne says

    December 30, 2014 at 7:51 am

    This looks WONDERFUL. Will be making this for sure, thank you!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 30, 2014 at 8:00 am

      Thanks, Katherine, you’ll love this soup!

      Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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