Herbed Spaetzle (GF, V) with Roasted Garlic and Beet Puree – Virtual Vegan Potluck 2013

Winner of Best Side Dish at the November 2013 Virtual Vegan Potluck!

Welcome to your next side dish in this November’s Virtual Vegan Potluck! I am so excited about this potluck because I know I will gain such an abundant of new and delicious plant-based recipes for my upcoming holiday entertaining.

For the last potluck, I brought a Spring salad that contained a veggie that was fairly unique to many readers.  I am hoping, too, that this dish will elicit your curiousity, light fire to your taste buds and have you rushing like mad to your stove top.

However, I am betting you are already in your kitchen (or just crazy anxious to get there!) from reading all the previous potluck posts! (Grab a beverage and click here, if you need to go back to the beginning).

I am so excited about sharing this recipe with you! It’s been hard keeping it a secret for the past month.

Today, I am bringing to our table a savoury dish that is nutritious and satisfying, even for those carnivorous bellies. It was my Swiss and Austrian in-laws who first introduced me to this little noodle we call spaetzle.  It typically would be at our table on special occasions like New Year’s Eve and Thanksgiving. It’s such a treat that my husband and I served it our wedding reception nearly 17 years ago.

Traditionally, spaetzle consisted of flour, eggs, salt and water.  I enhanced the traditional recipe by not only eliminating the use of eggs, but by using a flour that is nutritionally superior to most.

For me, this recipe is another great example of how eliminating animal-based foods and gluten from your diet does not have you living without the dishes you so love.

Here is my side dish – an embellished, veganized and gluten-free version of the traditional “egg” noodle called spaetzle – topped with a roasted garlic and beet puree. 

HERBED SPAETZLE

• 2 flax eggs
• 1/4 organic soft tofu
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon quinoa flakes
• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (or guar gum for corn free)
• salt and pepper
• filtered room temperature water (approximately 150 – 200 mL)
• finely chopped chives or green onion and parsley

Dough: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend flax eggs with tofu. In a separate bowl, combine garlic powder, quinoa flakes, flours, tapioca starch, gums and salt and pepper.  Alternately, add water and dry ingredients (about a 1/2 cup at a time) to flax and tofu mixture. ***You will need a viscous dough, so adjust water accordingly. Mix slightly after each addition. Using a wooden spoon, mix in chopped herbs.  Let dough sit for 30 minutes or longer.

Now, this is where it really gets FUN! 🙂

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper.  Sit a colander in a large bowl and have it next to your pot of boiling water.

I prefer to use a spaetzle maker over a pot of boiling water to form the noodles. You can use a colander, but a spaetzle maker is so much easier and it really is an inexpensive kitchen gadget. (Great stocking stuffer, by the way!).

Using a soup ladle, scoop your viscous spaetzle dough in the “pot” of your spaetzle maker. Slowly, run the “pot” back and forth on the spaetzle maker’s track. The dough will drip down into the pot of boiling water and float to the top as spaetzle noodles. After a couple of minutes, scoop the spaetzle out of the pot with a slotted spoon and drain them in your colander. Once excess water has drained from the spaetzle, scatter them on your parchment lined cookie sheet.  Keep spaetzle in a low temperature oven, if planning to serve after all dough is cooked.

spaetzle maker over pot of hot water

spaetzle draining in colander

spaetzle scattered on cookie sheet in warm oven

Spaetzle can be made a day or two in advance.  Once all noodles have been cooked, drained and brought to room temperature, they can be kept in glass containers in the fridge. To reheat spaetzle for serving, either drop noodles once again into a pot of boiling water then immediately scoop or fry in a non-stick frying pan. Spaetzle noodles are awesome fried with onions and garlic. 😉

Top plated spaetzle with warm beet puree and garnish with parsley.

ROASTED GARLIC AND BEET PUREE

• 5 medium-sized beets, cooked and peeled(I used a pressure cooker)
• 1 garlic head, roasted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Bring beets and garlic to room temperature. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend well.

Thank you for joining our potluck! Enjoy the rest of your dishes!

Your next delicious side dish is brought to you by Lemongrass and Ginger.  Click here:

If you missed the side dish from Robin Robertson’s Global Vegan Kitchen, then go back here: