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Chicken Semolina Dumpling Soup

Aida
Also known as supa (juha) sa griz noklicama (or supa/ juha sa knedlama), this nourishing chicken broth with melt-in-your-mouth dumplings is the definition of comfort food.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Course Soups & Stews
Cuisine Bosnian, Croatian, Kosovo, Macedonian, Montenegro, Serbian, Slovenian
Servings 4
Calories 181 kcal

Ingredients
  

Chicken broth (soup)

  • 1 medium chicken or 3-4 bigger pieces of chicken with skin*
  • 2-3 carrots peeled, cut into thirds
  • 1 parsley bunch
  • 1 celery root peeled, or 3-4 celery stalks, quartered
  • (Optional) few celery leaves
  • 1 (Optional) parsley root peeled
  • 1-2 onion(s) medium, quartered
  • 2-3 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1-2 chicken bouillon cube(s) or 1-2 tablespoon(s) Vegeta or stock powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • (Optional) broccoli, cauliflower, peas chopped, fresh or frozen are fine, added near the end

Semolina noodles*

  • 1 egg
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil or melted butter, or soft ghee, or softened lard
  • 8 tablespoons semolina flour use the same tablespoon to measure oil and semolina flour, and use a knife to slide across the top of the spoon to get rid of any extra flour*

Instructions
 

(Optional) Blanching Chicken

  • Note: some people like to blanch chicken before making broth. This is a good thing to do if you're unsure where your chicken meat has come from.
  • In a large pot bring water to a full rolling boil. Place chicken (or chicken pieces) inside for 2-5 minutes. Take out and discard the water. Transfer the chicken into the pot where you'll cook the broth.

Making Chicken Broth

  • In a large pot combine chicken, main vegetables, and seasonings. Cover with water (about 2-2.5 liters or 2-2.5 quarts). Cover the pot, bring the broth to a boil, and lower the heat. Partially uncover and simmer for 2-3 hours. (Replenish water if too much evaporates but don't overdo it.)
  • (Optional) For a perfectly clear broth, as the broth is cooking, remove the scam that forms on top. You may have to do this several times.
  • Strain chicken broth into another pot and discard the remains of everything except chicken and carrots. Dice carrots and return to the soup. Remove chicken skin and bones and discard. Shred chicken (or dice it) and return to soup. (If using a whole chicken shred half and return to soup. Use the other half for another dish.)
  • If adding broccoli, cauliflower, and/ or other veggies, add them in now.
  • Return the soup to the stove and bring to a light boil on low.

Making Semolina Dumplings (Noodles)

  • Parallel to the soup coming to a boil the second time, take a small bowl and beat the egg in it. Add salt and oil and continue beating until completely integrated. Finally, add semolina flour and mix everything together until the noodle/dumpling consistency is similar to pancake batter (but not as smooth). While it may look a little runny, give it 2-3 minutes to stiffen, and it will be fine.*
  • Using a teaspoon grab a little bit of noodle batter at a time and drop it into soup thus forming noodles (lightly flick each noodle into the broth while not touching the broth with the spoon). Dip the teaspoon into the broth in between every fourth or fifth noodle to prevent grits from sticking. Let for about 5 minutes or until noodles (dumplings) expand.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve.

Serving

  • Serve 2-3 ladles of soup per person alongside homemade bread, fried mini breads, or pogacha. Ask for preferences regarding the soup temperature. (Some like it hot, some lukewarm.) Although hearty, this soup is generally an appetizer, and not a main course.
    Store by bringing the soup down to room temperature, and transferring it to an airtight container. Keep the soup in the fridge for 1 day. Note: if you plan to keep the soup in the fridge for longer, once you make the broth (but before making noodles/ dumplings), set aside the portion of the broth you plan to leave for later. When ready to use, bring it to a low boil, and make noodles.
    Reheat using your preferred method.

Video

Notes

  • Video 
Please note that the video is slightly different than the recipe, as we've updated it. If in doubt, follow the written instructions, especially for the noodles. 
  • Ingredients
Chicken thighs or chicken legs with skin work great. If you can't find some of the vegetables, use what you have.
  • Noodles/ Dumplings
After much testing, we found one of the best noodle (dumplings) ingredient volume tricks to be on Coolinarika, contributed by a user called MooCow. (The 4 tablespoon oil, 8 tablespoon semolina suggestion!)
While making noodles (dumplings) drop them into broth. If you try to get the noodle mix off by dipping the entire spoon into the broth with the noodle batter on it, the noodles will fall apart.
As noodles expand five or six times and absorb a lot of broth, it's best to form smaller ones. Half a teaspoon of batter per noodle is perfect.
If you're using lard or ghee the noodles/dumplings will be a little thicker and harder. However, you should still be able to easily halve them with a spoon. 
Important! No matter how many times you've made the noodles/dumplings, they still sometimes may come out wrong. They can be too soft or too thick, or fall apart, or be too hard. Don't take it personally. It simply happens. Do the best you can, and move on. 
  • Chicken bouilllon, yay or nay?
Why add chicken bouillon to stock you ask? Homemade chicken stock/broth, while fantastic, is not salty enough. Bouillon adds that extra flavor. You can use salt or Vegeta instead, or none at all, and adjust the amount of salt you're using. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 16.1gProtein: 18.2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1.4gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 509mgFiber: 3.2gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!