🇮🇹 Italian · Soup
🥟 Canederli allo Speck
Canederli allo Speck
Hearty bread dumplings studded with smoky speck, a specialty of Italy's Alpine north showing clear Austro-Hungarian influence, served either in a light broth or alongside melted butter.
Canederli reflect the distinctly Germanic culinary heritage of Trentino-Alto Adige, using stale bread and cured meat in a dumpling that's closer to a Central European knödel than to anything found further south in Italy.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large mixing bowl, Large pot
- 300 g (10.5 oz) stale bread, cut into small cubes
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) warm milk
- 150 g (5.3 oz) speck, finely diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 30 g (¼ cup) flour, plus more as needed
- Fresh chives or parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp butter, for sautéing
- 1.2 L (5 cups) beef or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and pour the warm milk over them, letting them soak for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sauté the onion in butter until softened, then add the speck and cook briefly.
- Add the onion and speck mixture to the soaked bread along with the eggs, flour, chives, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well until everything holds together — the mixture should be moist but formable; add a little more flour if too wet.
- Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes to firm up.
- With wet hands, shape the mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and carefully add the dumplings.
- Simmer gently for 15–18 minutes until the dumplings float and are cooked through.
- Serve hot in the broth, or drain and serve with melted butter and a scattering of chives.
Chef Tips
- Let the bread soak thoroughly before mixing — dry patches make it harder to bind the dumplings together.
- Test one dumpling in the simmering broth first; if it falls apart, mix in a little more flour before shaping the rest.
- Simmer gently rather than at a rolling boil, which can cause the dumplings to break apart.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using fresh, soft bread instead of properly stale bread, which absorbs liquid differently and can result in a mushy texture.
- Overworking the mixture, which can make the dumplings dense rather than light.
- Boiling too vigorously, which risks breaking the dumplings apart in the pot.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein from the eggs and speck.
Cultural Note
Canederli reflect the distinctly Alpine, Austro-Hungarian-influenced cuisine of Trentino-Alto Adige, a region where German remains widely spoken and the food culture differs markedly from the rest of Italy.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate cooked dumplings for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat gently in broth or a pan with a little butter.
Serve with: Sauerkraut, A simple green salad