Rote Bete Knödel (Austrian Beet Bread Dumplings)

Quick answer

Traditional Austrian bread dumplings made with beet puree and stale bread, served warm with melted butter and parmesan.

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Cut the stale bread into 1cm cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl.
2

Heat

Cook the beets until soft, then blend them with milk until smooth and bright red.
3

Heat

Melt butter in a pan and sauté the finely chopped onion until translucent, then mix with the bread.
4

Season

Add the beet-milk mixture, eggs, salt, and cheese to the bread, mix well, and let rest for 15 minutes.
5

Prep

After 15 minutes, check the texture, mix in 30 g all-purpose flour until the mixture holds together firmly, then shape it into round dumplings.
6

Control

Gently simmer the dumplings in salted water for about 15 minutes until they float to the surface.

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Soft texture from stale bread
Finish cue: Melt butter in a pan and sauté the finely chopped onion until translucent, then mix with the bread.
Avoid this: If the dough is too wet, the dumplings may fall apart during cooking, so adjust with flour to make them firm.