Danish Soup

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There are four components to this soup, the broth, meatballs, dumplings, and rice and raisins.

Ingredients: Broth

Yield: Makes 10-12 portions

• 3 beef soup bones
• 12-16 cups water
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb. bag of carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery bunch, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• salt to taste

Ingredients: Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ cup soda cracker crumbs
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup cream or half and half

Ingredients: Dumplings

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup butter (1 stick), melted
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs

Ingredients: Rice and Raisins

• Enough cooked rice for the number of people you are serving
• ½ – 1 cup of raisins

Instructions: Broth

1. Start by making the beef broth in the morning.
2. In a large pot, brown the beef soup bones and then add 12-16 cups water.
3. Add in the onions, ½ of the chopped carrots, all of the celery (or you may prefer celery root), parsley, and any other vegetable if desired. Salt to taste.
4. Bring to a boil and then simmer for several more hours.
5. Put the broth through a strainer and to this broth add in a few more shakes of parsley flakes or fresh chopped parsley. A half hour before serving the soup add the remainder of the chopped carrots to the hot broth.

Instructions: Meatballs

1. Combine ingredients for the meatballs, and mix together.
2. Make into balls and drop into pot of boiling water for about five to ten minutes. The meatballs can then be added to the broth or served in a separate bowl.

Instructions: Dumplings

1. Melt the butter in saucepan, stir in the flour; add boiling water and salt.
2. Stir vigorously till it clumps in the middle of the pan.
3. Let cool and then add three eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly.
4. Bring a pot of water to a low boil. The water must be on a low boil or the dumplings will fall apart.
5. Drop dumpling batter into water about two tablespoons at a time. Cooking will take about 5 minutes depending on water temperature. Take one out and cut it in half to check for doneness. Feed to any kid or spouse lingering in the kitchen.

Instructions: Rice and Raisins

Make enough rice for the number of people you are serving. True Danes put raisins in the rice but some may only want plain rice. Raisins should be added to the rice with about five minutes of cook time left.

In our house everyone dishes their own broth that already contains the meatballs and then adds rice and dumpling to their own tastes. If you have leftovers, it will keep in the fridge for 2 days. Otherwise, you can freeze it.

Recipe courtesy of Jon Bansen, of Double J Jerseys