Chicken corn soup with rivels is a classic Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food dish. Rivels are small dumpling-like noodles that are dropped into broth to cook. They add substance and flavor to chicken soup. Learning how to make homemade rivels is easy, and they truly make this soup special.
What are Rivels?
Rivels (also spelled rivlets or ribbels) are tiny hand-rolled dumplings or noodles They originated as part of Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, so are commonly found in dishes like chicken corn soup in Amish cooking
Rivels are made from a simple dough of flour, egg and a bit of salt and/or baking powder. The dough is then hand rolled into very small pieces and dropped directly into broth soup or stew to cook.
Other names for rivels are German spaetzle noodles or Italian gnocchi. So they are quite similar to other tiny soft dough dumplings found in European cooking.
Rivel Ingredients
Rivels are easy to make with just a few ingredients:
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Flour – Typically all-purpose flour. Can substitute up to half the flour with buckwheat flour for added nutrition.
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Eggs – Usually 1-2 eggs per cup of flour.
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Salt – Just a pinch to lightly season.
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Milk or water – Just a splash added if needed to bring the dough together.
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Baking powder – Optional to add a little extra lift to the dumplings.
How to Make Rivel Dough
Making rivel dough is very simple:
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In a bowl, beat together the egg and milk or water.
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Add the flour and salt, and stir to combine into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
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If needed, add more milk or flour a teaspoon at a time until it forms a pliable dough.
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Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes before rolling and dropping into the boiling broth.
Rolling and Dropping Rivels
There are a few ways to form the tiny rivel dumplings:
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Hand Rolling – Pinch off a very small piece of dough about the size of a pea. Roll it into a ball between your hands. Drop the balls into the boiling broth.
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Between Fingers – Pinch off a small piece of dough. Gently press it between your fingers and thumbs to flatten slightly. Let it fall off your fingers into the broth.
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Using a Spoon – Take a small spoonful or scoop of dough. Use a second spoon to scrape the dough off the first spoon in small pieces into the boiling broth.
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Using a Grater – Form the dough into a log and grate it through the large holes of a box grater directly into the simmering broth.
Tips for Adding Rivels to Soup
Follow these tips for the best results when adding homemade rivels to chicken corn soup:
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Bring the broth to a full rolling boil before adding rivels. This helps them cook evenly.
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Stir gently after adding rivels to prevent sticking.
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Simmer rivels uncovered for 15-20 minutes until puffed and cooked through.
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Add rivels to broths, soups or stews just before serving. Do not cook them too long or they can get mushy.
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To freeze, prepare rivels and drop into broth but do not cook. Freeze rivels in broth for up to 3 months.
Complete Recipe for Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels
This Pennsylvania Dutch recipe makes a hearty old-fashioned chicken soup with fresh sweet corn and pillowy tender homemade rivel dumplings.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds)
- 2 quarts chicken broth (from whole chicken)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions:
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Simmer whole chicken in water to cover until tender, about 1 hour. Remove meat from bones. Reserve 2 quarts broth.
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Make rivels by mixing together flour, egg and salt. Pinch off tiny pieces and roll into pea-sized balls.
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In pot, sauté onion, celery, carrot and garlic in butter until tender. Add corn, broth and chicken.
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Bring soup to a boil. Drop in rivels, stirring gently. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
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Season with salt and pepper. Garnish bowls with parsley.
For more recipes featuring homemade dumplings, try this Amish Chicken and Dumplings recipe or Potato Soup with Rivels. Rivels can also be simmered in just broth or gravy for a simple yet delicious comfort food side dish. However you choose to enjoy them, homemade rivels are sure to be a hit!
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Rivel Soup
Sophie Light, previous Head Cook at Esther’s Diner, and owner of Farmer’s Wife Diner in Ono, Pennsylvania shares her infamous Chicken Corn Rivel Soup Recipe with us. There’s nothing better than homemade Chicken Corn Rivel Soup, made with Bell & Evans whole Chicken Legs… created at a time when the best chefs in the world developed recipes without using measuring cups.
- 6 Bell & Evans whole Chicken Legs
- 1 Cup Chopped onion
- 1 Cup Chopped celery
- ¼ Cup Chicken Base. (one popular brand is Better Than Bouillon)
- 4 Cups Frozen corn
- 1 tsp Celery salt
- 1 tsp Onion salt
- 1 T Parsley flakes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2 Cups Flour
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2 Cups King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour
- 1-2 TB Cold water
- Fill a 10 Qt pot with 5-6 quarts of water. Cook the 6 chicken legs until tender. Remove from broth. Strain the broth, then add the chopped celery, onion, frozen corn and chicken base. Cook 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the rivels. Beat the eggs, then gradually add the flour, working the flour into the eggs with your hands, making small chunks of dough.
- Slowly add the little chunks of dough to the broth, stirring frequently.
- Add cooked and shredded chicken, celery salt, onion salt and Parsley into soup. Cook the small balls of dough for about 5 minutes or until they start to float.
- Serve with chunky, warm bread.
Pennsylvania Dutch Amish Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels ~ Chicken Soup Recipe
FAQ
How do you make rivals for chicken corn soup?
To make rivels:
Put flour and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, scramble eggs with a fork. Add eggs to flour/salt mixture and “rivel ’em up” (just stir around with a fork until mixture becomes crumbly). Drop by small handfuls into boiling broth.
How to make soup rivels?
- In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in egg with a fork until crumbly.
- In a large saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. Gradually add flour mixture; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until rivels are cooked through, 1-2 minutes.
What do you need for chicken corn soup?
- 1 (4 pound) chicken.
- 1 onion, chopped.
- 4 quarts water.
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn.
- ½ cup chopped celery.
- salt and pepper to taste.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour.
- 1 large egg.
How to make a corn starch slurry for soup?
In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add the slurry to your recipe, stirring constantly until it thickens to your desired consistency. Use cold water or broth to mix with cornstarch to prevent clumping.