Chicken Paprikash Soup With Spaetzle

I cannot say enough about how heavenly this tastes! My grandmother gave me this recipe that she had taken from her local paper and made some adjustments to. I always use salted butter and leave out the additional salt. If you prefer a more spicy soup, you can substitute some of the regular paprika with hot paprika, just don't go overboard or the heat can become overwhelming. Perfect for a cooler day, this recipe is a great alternative to the standard chicken soup.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• Soup Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1  large onion, diced small
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄4-1⁄3 cup paprika
• 2⁄3 cup flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 7  cups  chicken stock
• 1  cup chicken, cooked and diced (can use more)
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1  cup sour cream
• 1 (10 ounce) package spaetzle noodles, cooked according to package instructions (or use the following recipe for homemade spaetzle)

• Spaetzle Ingredients

• 4  eggs
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1  tablespoon parsley, minced
• 1  cup flour, enough to make a very thick batter
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a 3 quart pot, melt the butter; add onion and garlic and cook on low heat until onions are soft and translucent.
2. Add the paprika, thyme, and flour and stir until the onions are coated, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Whisk in the stock and cook until soup thickens. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and spaetzle (recipe below) and salt and pepper.
5. Use a ladle to set aside a small amount of soup. Mix the sour cream with the small amount of reserved soup, and then add the whole mixture into the large pot of soup. This allows the temperature of the sour cream to adjust gradually. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
6. For the homemade spaetzle, if you are using: While the soup is cooking, put a large pot or pan of water on to boil.
7. Combine spaetzle ingredients until they are smooth.
8. Run the thick batter through a spaetzle maker or a colander. Drop into the boiling water, and remove the noodles when they float.
9. Add directly to the hot soup.