Villach Kirchtag soup

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 1 kg chicken giblets (soup chicken)
• 1 kg beef, for soup
• ½ kg lamb
• 4 large onions (amount varies)
• ½ kg carrot(s)
• 1 small celeriac
• 5 bay leaves
• a few stalks of rosemary
• 3 pinch(s) cinnamon
• some saffron
• 2 cups sweet cream or sour cream
• 5 cubes of soup seasoning

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

also Gegendtaler or Gailtaler Kirchtagssuppe – thickened “sour” soup with 3 kinds of meat

Kirchtagssuppe is a delicious specialty served in Villach (Carinthia) at the beginning of August. It’s basically a thickened soup with three types of meat, which are then diced and added. The soup is also called YELLOW soup because of the saffron, and is originally eaten with Carinthian Reindling (a kind of yeast dough and cinnamon roll cake…). I’m from Villach and know this recipe (from my Grandma Rosi): (all ingredients are totally variable, one more onion shouldn’t matter, the important thing is the long cooking time). Cook the meat, bay leaves, rosemary, and cleaned vegetables in lots and lots of water for a very long time. I expect it to take at least two hours. I add a few chicken pieces at the end to create pieces of meat for carving. Add stock cubes. When everything is ready, add a little saffron and, very importantly, CINNAMON. Strain everything and remove any fat. Stir in 2-3 cups of cream (sweet or sour) and eat it in style with Reindling!