When we think about Italian cuisine, there are many dishes that never made it onto international restaurant menus. Canederli are one of them: a traditional dish from the Trentino region of Italy, in the northeast near the Alps. These are delicious “naked” dumplings, with no wrapper at all, made primarily from stale bread. They are typically served in broth or simply dressed with butter and melted cheese.
I’ve always wanted to try making them, and yesterday, with some leftover ham and bread on hand, I finally did. And they turned out amazing.
Canederli are perfect for lunch or dinner on cold, rainy winter days. But let’s get straight to the recipe. The dough comes together by mixing cubes of bread with milk, eggs, herbs, onions, and speck (a type of smoked ham). The mixture is shaped into large dumplings and gently boiled (usually in a light broth) until soft and fluffy. Depending on the type of bread you use, the amount of milk may vary, so add it gradually until you reach the right consistency. With gluten-free bread, you may need to use the full amount of milk indicated in the recipe. You can also replace the bread entirely with breadcrumbs, reducing the volume by half.
Think of canederli as the Italian cousins of matzo balls or the bread dumplings found in Central Europe, but with that unmistakable Italian touch of speck, herbs, and butter.
How to Make Vegetarian Canederli
To make this recipe fully vegetarian, simply omit the ham or speck. You can optionally double the amount of mushrooms or add a second vegetable, such as pumpkin or kale. You will also need to replace the milk with unsweetened soy milk, using the same quantity.
Bread dumplings in broth
2
servings1
hour5
minutes1
hour10
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 cups stale bread cubes (125 g), gluten-free if necessary
1/3 cup warm milk (75 g), plant based is ok
1/2 onion
2/3 king oyster mushrooms
2 tbsp chopped ham or bacon
2 tbsp rice flour
1 egg
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
How to
- Cut the bread into small cubes and place it in a large bowl. Add the chopped parsley and chives.
- In a pan, melt some butter and sauté the onion and ham until golden.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl.
- Add the milk to the bread, starting with half the amount, then adjust depending on how dry your bread is.
- Add the beaten egg, ham, and braised onion mixture to the bread. Season with salt and pepper. Work the mixture with your hands to break up the bread. The mixture should resemble a soft meatball consistency. If it feels too wet or sticky, add a bit of gluten-free flour or breadcrumbs.
- With wet hands, shape the mixture into balls about 5 cm in diameter. Place them on a plate and let them rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- After resting, cook the dumplings in boiling broth. They’re ready when they float to the surface!
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