Hochzeitssuppe – German Wedding Soup

The Hochzeitssuppe or German Wedding Soup, is a German soup based on chicken broth, combined with chicken meat, small meatballs (Fleischklößchen), asparagus heads, noodles, and an egg specialty that is called Eierstich or egg crouton. This soup is popular in the North and as well in the South of Germany.
A variation is the Westfälische Hochzeitssuppe (Westphalian wedding soup) which is a beef broth, the starter dish on wedding menus, followed by the cold beef meat from the broth, served with remoulade, pickled little onions, and gherkins.
Making this soup is quite some work but it is a delicious soup indeed, and worth of all work. Happy Cooking!

Ingredients Hochzeitssuppe

For the Broth
1 chicken, about 2kg
2 liter purified water
1 tsp salt
soup veggies: 2 carrots, 1/2 celery root, 1 leek, 1 onion, 1 bay leave, parsley root (if you can get it)
– How to make a Chicken Broth –

Eierstich (Egg Crouton)
4 eggs
1 splash milk
salt, pepper to taste

Meat Balls
250 g ground beef or half pork/beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 small slice of dry bread

Additions
100 g soup noodles – Find Star Noodles here –
1 kg asparagus
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp chopped parsley
nutmeg to taste

Cooking Instructions Hochzeitssuppe

1. Making the Broth
Wash the chicken, place in a big enough pot with the cold water, add salt, and the chopped soup veggies.
Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the chicken meat is soft, depending on the size this can be 1 hour.
When chicken is done remove from the broth and drain. Keep the carrots. Use the chicken meat for another dish, for example a chicken fricassee
– Go to the Recipe for Fricassee – Chicken Fricassee – German Style
Let the broth cool off and remove some of the grease.

2. Make the Egg Croutons
Beat the eggs with the milk and a dash salt, add grated nutmeg to taste. Using the double boiler method, heat eggs for about 20 min until it has become solid.
Place bowl upside down on a board so the solid eggs are falling out, and can be cut into small cubes.
– See also our recipe for Egg Croutons – 

3. Make the Meat Balls
Soak the bread in water until it is very soft. When done squeeze  all water out of the bread.
Combine the meat with salt and pepper, add the soft bread, and knead until everything is mixed very well.
Form very small meat balls of cherry size
Bring water with some salt to a boil, add the meat balls, reduce heat,  and let simmer for 15 min.

4. Cook the Soup Noodles & Asparagus
Bring water to a boil, some salt added, place noddles into the water and let boil per instructions.
Drain in a sieve and rinse with cold water.
Wash asparagus, peel and cut into small pieces.
Den Spargel schälen, in Stücke schneiden und in Gemüsebrühe mit 1 TL Zucker gar ziehen lassen.

5. Make the Soup
Combine noodles, asparagus, meatballs and egg croutoins with the cooled off broth.
Bring to a very brief boil.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Before serving place 1 tbsp chopped parsley into every plate and fill up with the soup.

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