Pennsylvania Dutch Turkey Corn Soup with Rivvels is the big bonus of the Thanksgiving meal, made from the carcass and leftover turkey and vegetables. Chicken Corn Soup is a standard in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Every family has its own recipe, and every firehouse holds chicken corn soup fundraisers (bring your own quart containers). I like potatoes in mine; others add finely chopped hard-boiled eggs. Thin egg noodles are often included. Debates will rage as to what is most authentic and what tastes most like “Mom used to make.” Mine will never be as good as my mother-in-law’s, but it is as good as most cups sold at auctions, county fairs, and tourist smorgasbords in Lancaster County.
To make a rich turkey stock, start by cooking the turkey and leftover celery with some large onions, halved, 2-3 leeks, a bay leaf, garlic cloves, and a tablespoon or so of black peppercorns with enough water to cover the whole carcass. Add a bouquet garni. Cook long and slow for several hours. See Selma Morrow’s Tips for Making Stock.
Once the stock is ready, strain through a colander lined with cheesecloth and add a pinch of saffron, salt, and pepper to taste. All of these measurements are just suggestions; adjust according to how much stock you have made and your preferences.
The rivvels, the signature twist to this dish, are tiny dumplings, similar to German Spaetzle. They are pressed through large holes a colander or box grater (or drop in pea-size amounts from a spoon) into the boiling soup. They look like teardrops that rise to the surface when they cook in the simmering soup.
This recipe is adapted from Betty Groff’s Country Cooking Goodness Cookbook (Doubleday 1981), who spells the tiny drop dumplings with two v’s. Note: Many recipes eliminate the evaporated milk.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- •1.4 liters (6 cups) rich turkey stock
- •237 ml (1 cup) chopped parsley
- •1 liter (4 cup)s corn kernels*
- •3/4 cup sliced celery
- •3/4 cup sliced carrots
- •3 potatoes chopped into 2-inch pieces (optional)
- •Leftover turkey cut into bite-sized pieces
- •237 ml (1 cup) milk (optional)
- •Cooked thin egg noodles (optional), as desired
- •Chopped hard-boiled egg
For the rivvels:
- •60 grams (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
- •2 eggs
- •198 ml (6.6 ounces) evaporated milk
- •1/2 teaspoon salt
*Frozen corn is fine; leftover cooked John Cope’s Corn is excellent.
Plain milk added to the flour/egg mix for the rivvels will work. Adjust the amount to liquefy just enough to create ribbons when drizzled into the boiling soup.
A pinch of saffron is recommended if available.
All quantities can be adjusted to taste.
Preparation
For the soup: Bring the stock to a simmer in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the parsley, corn, celery, carrots, potatoes (if using) and turkey. Simmer for ten minutes. If desired, add the milk and egg noodles.
For the rivvels: In a mixing bowl or blender, combine the flour, eggs, evaporated milk, and salt. Mix until smooth. When the soup is boiling, pour the batter through a dipper or large slotted spoon with holes or the large holes of a box grater, moving it over the pot so they don’t all fall in one place. Use a wooden spoon to push them around so they don’t stick together. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 5 minutes. Just before serving, garnish with more parsley and chopped hard-boiled egg.
