Skip to content

Meat, Italy

Canederli in broth

Canederli in broth are dumplings made from stale bread, speck, and mountain cheese, poached in beef broth. This Italian recipe from the Trentino region serves 4, takes 1 hour, rates medium difficulty, and costs about €2.40 per person. The key to success is letting the mixture rest for twenty minutes before shaping the balls, so they hold together in the broth.

A trip to the Dolomites with big bread and speck dumplings swimming in hot broth.

Canederli in broth
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Canederli have a particular softness from bread soaked in milk and eggs, with the smoky taste of speck and melted mountain cheese that oozes out a little when you cut into one. The hot beef broth around them adds just enough liquid to warm you up without drowning the dumpling, and fresh chives cut through the richness.

This is a winter Sunday dish, or a weeknight meal when you have a bit more time to let the mixture rest and shape the dumplings carefully. Kids generally like the soft texture and melted cheese, and a steaming bowl of broth feels good when it is cold outside.

The ingredients

4 people

Bakery

  • Stale bread 300 g

Dairy

  • Milk 15 cl
  • Eggs 3
  • Mountain cheese 100 g
  • Butter 20 g

Butcher

  • Speck 120 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Parsley 4 sprigs
  • Chives 1 bunch

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Beef brothoften in the pantry 1.5 l
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the bread into small cubes and drizzle with warm milk mixed with the beaten eggs.

    Use stale bread, fresh bread turns mushy.

  2. Sauté the sliced onion and diced speck in butter, then add to the bread along with the cubed cheese, parsley, and flour. 5 min

    Let it cool slightly before mixing, otherwise the eggs cook too fast.

  3. Let the mixture rest, then shape large balls with wet hands. 20 min

    Press each ball firmly between your palms, they should not open up in the water.

  4. Bring the broth to a simmer and drop the canederli in. 20 min

    Test with one dumpling first, if it falls apart add a bit more flour.

  5. Serve two canederli per bowl in a little broth with chives.

    Save the extra broth for another meal, it is well flavored.

Our tips to get it right

  • Weigh the 300g of stale bread carefully, too much fresh bread or not enough liquid gives dry dumplings that fall apart in the broth.
  • Wet your hands before shaping each ball, the mixture sticks much less and the canederli keep a nice round shape.
  • If you are unsure the mixture will hold, poach one test dumpling before shaping the rest, so you do not risk losing the whole batch in the broth.

The variations

  • Swap the speck for smoked bacon bits or diced cured ham, the flavor stays close with whatever you have on hand.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the speck and add a bit more mountain cheese along with sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter.
  • For a quicker version for kids, shape smaller dumplings, they cook in ten minutes instead of twenty and are perfect bite sized.

What to serve it with

  • A tangy white cabbage salad
  • A glass of sparkling apple juice
  • Buttered braised winter vegetables

Storage

Cooked canederli keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, ideally in their broth so they do not dry out. They freeze well uncooked and shaped, and can go straight from the freezer into the broth with a slightly longer cooking time. Reheat gently in simmering broth rather than the microwave, which makes them rubbery.

Questions about this dish

Can you make canederli ahead of time?

Yes, you can shape the dumplings the day before and keep them covered in the fridge. Cook the broth and poach them only right before serving so they hold their shape.

Why do my canederli fall apart in the broth?

The mixture usually has not rested long enough or needs more flour. Add an extra tablespoon of flour and let it rest twenty more minutes before testing again.

What mountain cheese should you use?

A firm pressed cheese like tomme or fontina works well, it melts without turning liquid. Avoid very soft cheeses, which make the mixture too sticky.

Can you freeze cooked canederli?

It is not ideal, the bread texture gets a bit spongy once thawed. It is better to freeze them raw, already shaped into balls, before cooking them in the broth.

How long does it take to make a bowl of canederli in broth?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a bowl of canederli in broth?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bowl of canederli in broth cost?

About €2.40 per serving, or €9.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Italian cuisine

See all

Cheese recipes

See all