Does anyone else save the juice from canned beets? I keep in a jar in the refrigerator or freezer but had no idea what I would eventually do with it. Eventually, there was too much of it, so the juice had to be used or get tossed. I’m a bit squeamish about beets so there was no way I was going to drink it straight. I thought of creating a batch cocktail recipe with it but I chickened out.
I’ve always wanted to make beet knödel. I’ve seen it prepared several different ways in German cooking magazines, sometimes using beets, sometimes the juice. I opted for the later. By boiling potato knödel in salted beet juice, it turns the outside of the knödel a lovely color and adds beet flavor. It also looks pretty when you cut it in half.
It was too hot to make a cream sauce. Instead, I went outside and cut a variety of fresh herbs from my garden (spicy oregano, dill, chives, and marjoram). I pan fried them in butter, added some organic vegetable broth and simmered it all to make a herby bath for the beet knödel.
Red Beet Potato Knödel in Fresh Herb Vegetable Broth
Ingredients
- 2 lb potatoes
- 2 quarts red beet juice
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs I used basil, oregano, dill, and chives
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
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Cook all but two smaller (7oz) of the potatoes in a pot of salted water for 25 minutes.
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Peel the remaining potatoes and grate.
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Drain the boiled potatoes, remove the skins and mash.
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Mix with grated potatoes and cornstarch. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
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Wet your hands and form the mixture into ball shapes. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
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Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the chopped herbs, stir to coat and fry them for 3 minutes.
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Add the vegetable broth to the pan and bring to a boil.
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Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. cover the skillet with aluminum foil and set aside.
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Add the red beet juice to a large pot and bring to a boil.
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Place a dishtowel next to the stove.
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Add the knödel to the pot. They will sink to the bottom. when the knödel have popped up to the top, they are done.
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Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot and transfer them to the dish towel.
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Transfer the knödel to a deep dish or a bowl, pour the herb broth over the top and serve or if you prefer, serve the broth on the side.
Try these other knödel recipes:
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Bratwurst Filled Mustard Knödel |
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Lemon Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Marjoram Semmelknödel |
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Matzoh Knödel with Lemon Pistachio Cream Sauce |
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Piña Colada Knödel |
 |
Sage Sunflower Seed Knödel Stuffed Red Squash |
