Cloud Soup

This should really be called Chicken Kenebel Soup, but my children have nicknamed it Cloud Soup and the name has stuck! Kenebel are hard little dumplings which go well in just about any kind of soup. This is definitely one of my go-to fall recipes! I first encountered Kenebel at my mother-in-law's house and it is a Volga-German tradition.

For this soup I started by sauteing 1-1.5 pounds chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast. I seasoned it with salt and pepper, and when it was nearly done, I added some onions from our garden. After a couple of minutes I put in chopped celery and carrots and sauteed another minute or two. Then I added one can of chicken broth and about 8-10 cups of water and brought it to a boil. I then let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. I seasoned it with thyme and marjoram to taste and added salt and pepper as necessary. Towards the end I added a bag of frozen corn.

While the soup was simmering I mixed up the Kenebel(I've also seen it spelled Gnebble):

2 eggs, beat
enough flour to make a sticky dough (about 1 cup)
a little salt and/or pepper, or any other seasoning you might like
milk, if needed, if the dough gets too tough

As you can see, this is not an exact recipe, which is why I start with eggs, beat them up in a bowl, then add a cup of flour. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. If it is too tough, add a little milk. Season as you like, or not at all. You can also start with 4 eggs, if you want to double it. This is what it looks like in the bowl:
Bring the soup back up to a boil before you add in the dumplings. IMPORTANT: Use a small spoon to put them in, otherwise you will end up with large dumplings that aren't evenly cooked. I use a long-handled teaspoon. NEXT IMPORTANT TIP: Dip the spoon into the boiling liquid before you put it in the Kenebel mixture and then scoop a little out and dunk it in the soup. The dough will slide right off the spoon. This is what they look like cooking in the soup pot: As you can see, they expand a fair amount, and then float to the top of the soup. After about 5 minutes, they should all be done.

Serve, and enjoy!

*Variation: Start with a leftover ham-bone that has all the nice little chunks of ham still attached after you sliced the ham for your big ham dinner. Put it in your soup pot, add water to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer until the ham is falling off the bone. Remove bones and ham, chop the ham and put it back in the pot. Add bag of frozen green beans and simmer together. Mix up your Kenebel and add as directed above. No need for any seasoning for this version!