Tasty Tuesday … Homemade German Spaetzle

by incahootswithmuddyboots
October 13, 2015
19 comments
Cooking, Europe, Tasty Tuesday ..., Vegetarian Cooking

Growing up in Germany, we ate homemade Spätzle fairly regularly. The side dishes served with these tastily little morsels depend  on the region you live in. We generally ate brown lentils perked up with a splash of vinegar and Wiener Würstchen along with the Spätzle.
First we would make the batter, let it rest and then cook the Spätzle in salted water. When all the batter was used, we would sauté a finely chopped onion with some garlic in butter, add the drained Spätzle and fry them until they got a bit crispy in spots. Last but not least, we would sprinkle some Swiss mountain cheese over the top. Before you knew, a huge pan full of these popular little noodles had disappeared!

It has been a long time since I’ve made Spätzle at home. A while back I ordered a Spätzle maker from Amazon. When my friend Misty’s birthday came around, I decided to cook lunch for her, and our wonderful friend Marlene (who is also German) joined us.

The recipe looks like a lot of work, but it really isn’t! If you don’t have a Spätzle maker, you can put the batter into a large holed colander and press it directly into the boiling water. Just be careful so you don’t burn yourself.

Here is the recipe:

  • 3 cups white flour ( you can use part semolina flour if you want)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk, not the canned kind)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Grated Emmental or Gruyere cheese ( the cheese is good, but you can leave it out if you don’t eat dairy )
  • olive oil
  • lots of fresh, minced garlic
  • lots of fresh minced parsley ( I like Italian )
  • other fresh minced herbs like sage, oregano or thyme are tasty too
  • finely minced fresh chile peppers if desired

In a large bowl, combine the flour, semolina if using, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and your choice of milk.
Add the liquid to the flour, and beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes, until light, bubbly and well combined.
The batter should be very thick, like a heavy pancake batter, and flow slowly.
Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for about an hour.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the Spätzle maker across top of the pot.
Add a ladle or two of the batter, and push the batter carriage back and forth.
The Spätzle will fall into the boiling water below and float to the top when done.
This takes a few minutes. Stir them around a bit, and then lift them out with a slotted spoon.
Place them into a bowl with a bit of butter or olive oil to prevent sticking.
Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Next, melt some butter or olive oil in a large stainless steel or cast-iron pan.
Add the garlic and parsley, a sprinkle of salt and then the Spätzle. Sauté until golden and crisp in places.

If you prefer, you can layer the Spätzle, garlic-parsley sauté  and grated swiss cheese in a ovenproof dish and bake at 350° until heated through. Broil the last few minutes for a nice crusty top!

IMG_2780

We also ate Brussels Sprouts and a Mushroom Goulash, which I will post next week. We ended the lunch with a cup of German coffee and a piece of vegan chocolate cake! Not a bad way to start the week!

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My passions in life are vegetarian cooking, gardening, photography, writing, good books, traveling and nature. Thanks for stopping by, Sabine

19 thoughts on “Tasty Tuesday … Homemade German Spaetzle”

  4. insearchofitall says:

    I have never had Spätzle that way and loved it. The frying of it adds so much and my mother always did it the second day, not the first. I learned so much about food at that lunch. It was all so good. Even the brussels sprouts that have never been a favorite. I loved how you made it. As for being busy, some of us make busy-ness. There will always be time in my life for friends even if other things don’t get done. Thursday could be a problem. I still don’t have a car. 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Spence's Girl says:

    I remember you commented that you make spaetzle and I’ve been hoping to see you post this! Oh yeah! I will endeavor to make this soon. Thank you for sharing it. Spence and I adore spaetzle! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Pingback: Tasty Tuesday … German Mushroom Goulash | in cahoots with muddy boots

  8. Spence's Girl says:

    Reblogged this on spencesgirl and commented:
    Spence and I love Spaetzle and I’ve long harbored a desire to make it from scratch. Spence bought me a Spaetzle maker late last year and I set it aside. Till now. Check out this truly authentic recipe from a blogger I follow, incahootswithmuddyboots.com. And wish me luck!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Anne Strasser says:

    This looks delicious and the directions and pictures are excellent. I’ve made homemade spaetzle before but it was disappointing. I will try again with your recipe in front of me. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

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