How to Make Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup

This Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup with rivels recipe has been handed down through the generations of Amish and Mennonite families. Now you can make it for your own family. It is known far and near as one of the most satisfying foods from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Rivels are delicious little dumplings in the soup.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A large stew pot with lid
• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• (OR about 5 lbs. of any chicken pieces)
• 3 quarts of water
• 2 or 3 onions, diced
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 carrot, minced
• ½ cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley
• 3 to 4 cups frozen sweet corn, or fresh Lancaster County corn cut from the cob
• About 10 threads of saffron
• Salt to taste ( 1 tblspn.)
• Lots of fresh ground black pepper to taste (1/2 tsp.)
• 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped, as garnish
• Rivels (dumplings):
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup milk

1. 
    
   Chicken is good!

   SIMMER TO MAKE BROTH
   Place the first six ingredients in the water in a large pot. Use enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, with the lid tilted just a bit to let out the steam, for about two hours, until chicken is tender.

2. COOL YOUR CHICKEN
   Take the chicken out of the broth mixture. Place it on a large plate to cool. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour or so. Cover and refrigerate the broth. As soon as you can handle the chicken, take the meat off the bones. Discard skin and bones. Chop or pull chicken meat into bite sized pieces. Put the chicken aside.

3. GET THE RIVELS READY
   Now it’s time to mix up your rivels, or little Pennsylvania Dutch dumplings. Beat up the egg with a fork. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the milk and flour. Get a teaspoon to drop the rivels with.

4. 
    
   Saffron adds color & flavor.

   SKIM IT AND HEAT IT UP
   Take the broth out of the refrigerator. Use a large spoon to skim the fat from it the best you can. After the fat is skimmed from the top of the soup, add the saffron, salt, and pepper. Stir it, and heat it up again. Bring to a boil. Stir it well. Bring back to a rolling boil.

5. IT’S RAINING RIVELS
   Drop the rivels by partial spoonfuls into the boiling broth. This will make little free-form dumplings that will come to the surface in a few minutes. When the rivels rise to the top, gently fold in the chicken and corn. Reduce heat, and simmer gently for just a few more minutes.

6. 
    

   DELIGHTFUL!
   Use the chopped egg and a bit more parsley to garnish the delicious PA Dutch soup.
   
   Go down to 'Resources' to find my Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie and Pennsylvania Dutch Red Beet Egg recipe links.

Resources

• How to Make Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie
• How to Make Pennsylvania Dutch Red Beet Eggs
• How to Make Soft Pretzels Like the Pennsylvania Dutch
• How to Stop Amish Friendship Bread

[SpicyButterfly]

on 8/13/2009 This soup sounds so easy to make. I'm going to save this recipe to try when the weather gets cooler.

[FrazzledNanny]

on 3/28/2009 I love new chicken recipes. Thanks for this Penn. Dutch Chicken Corn Soup recipe. Sounds delicious! 5*

[dlcass]

on 3/15/2009 I love the name Rivels. This soup sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

[bobojo]

on 3/6/2009 Sounds wonderful. Thank you for the soup recipe. 5*

[Gottaloveit]

on 2/26/2009 Man this sounds good! For an easy way to keep chicken bones out of the broth, I wrap the chicken in cheesecloth before simmering. Keeps it all together too. Thanks.