My Low FODMAP Spaetzle, aka yummy German-inspired noodles, have a dense, slightly chewy texture that's delicious with low FODMAP gravy or fried in a little butter & topped with chives. #balance.
Please excuse me while I continue my little FODMAP-friendly Oktoberfest extravaganza over here. In case you missed it, I shared a yummy low FODMAP brat burger recipe earlier this week and am now sharing Oktoberfest recipe number zwei*, low FODMAP spaetzle.
*means two and is about the extent of my current German-speaking capabilities. Butttttt, German is the next language I plan to tackle on Duolingo. 🙂
Side note: I’ve been using Duolingo to work on mi español para el año pasado and feel like I have a wayyy better grasp on the Spanish language than I did when I was studying it in high school or even college. This is not sponsored, just definitely a tool I recommend if you’re looking to study a different language.
Spaetzle, or spätzle in German, is a soft, egg-based noodle that is quickly cooked in hot water and then fried in a little bit of butter and in my experience, often served with gravy.
It’s a little more labor-intensive and less “nutritious” than many recipes that I like to make, but life is about balance. And, Oktoberfest only comes around once a year! 😉
To make this recipe a little bit more FODMAP-friendly, I swapped in my favorite gluten-free flour, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour, for the wheat flour, which is traditionally called for. This GF flour is my go-to and I use it for pretty much anything that calls for flour.
MAKING SPAETZLE
In my experience, making spaetzle requires quickly (and carefully) forming noodles over a pot of boiling water, letting them sink to the bottom, and then waiting for them to rise back up to surface, which indicates the spaetzle are cooked. There are different techniques out there for forming the noodles, but, in my experience, a spaetzle maker is typically used.
With that said, I don’t currently own a spaetzle maker and my mom’s spaetzle maker was three hours away when I really wanted to make this recipe. BTW, I don’t really like to own single-purpose kitchen gadgets. So, I turned to Google and found a non-spaetzle maker technique - using a large ziplock bag poked with a skewer several times to create holes in one of the bottom corners. Holding it like a pastry bag, I then filled the bag with the batter and carefully(!) squeezed it over the gently boiling water, working in batches to form small amounts of spaetzle.
This non-spaetzle maker technique worked okay. A spaetzle maker works better, but if you don’t have one and don’t plan to buy one, this technique can and does work. It might take a little bit longer. And, I would definitely suggest being very careful with the hot water below you as you drop the spaetzle batter into the water. It can splash, regardless of the technique you use. So, be safe, friends. 🙂
Recipe
Low FODMAP Spaetzle
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
My Low FODMAP Spaetzle, aka yummy German-inspired noodles, have a dense, slightly chewy texture that's delicious with low FODMAP gravy or fried in a little butter & topped with chives. #balance.
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 4 eggs, beaten
- ⅔ cup water (or lactose-free milk)
- 3 Tbsp. ghee (or butter)
- Minced chives
Instructions
- Fill a large soup pot with water and bring to a gentle boil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and nutmeg. Add eggs and water and mix until well-combined. The batter will be thick and kind of sticky.
- Place an empty colander/strainer over a bowl or plate and set aside.
- Spray a spaetzle maker with nonstick cooking spray. Working in batches, load the spaetzle maker with dough and use it to create and drop noodles into the soup pot of water. The noodles will sink to the bottom, but then rise again when they are cooked. Remove the cooked noodles from the water using a slotted spoon and place them into the empty colander/strainer to allow excess water to drip off of the spaetzle. Repeat until all of the batter has been used.
- Serve with your favorite gravy or sauce. Or, heat ghee in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cooked spaetzle and fry until warm. Sprinkle with minced chives and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: German-American
Karlijn says
Ohh I love this! I saw it in Germany several times, but never tried it. Can't wait to try this low FODMAP version 🙂
Emily says
Thanks, Karlijn! Spaetzle is the best ... especially with a little bit of low FODMAP gravy. Yummmm! Hope you enjoy it!
P.S. Your blog is amazing! 🙂
Karlijn says
Aww thank you so much Emily! I have just recently found your blog *shame on me*, but I absolutely love your blog too. Can't wait to try out some recipes soon!
HT says
A potato ricer works well as a spaetzle press.
Emily says
That's a great point! I don't have one of those either :), but I'm sure others could benefit. Thanks for sharing!