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Sage & Golden Beet Spaetzle

4 from 1 review
Spaetzle is a German dumpling noodle, and surprisingly easy to make! I've been wanting to make a spaetzle for so long, and this simple, buttery, vegetable-forward recipe was the perfect one for cold winter days! Everything comes together in two pots, and yes, you can use a slotted spoon to make the spaetzle instead of a ricer. I won't tell anyone.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

For the sage and golden beet sauce
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
  • 1 small yellow onion , thinly sliced
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 1/2 pounds golden beets, tops removed, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
For the spaetzle
  • 2 large eggs
  • 6 tablespoons cool water
  • 140 grams all-purpose flour, 1 cup
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Instructions 

  1. Place a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the butter and let it fully melt. Add in the olive oil. Let this heat up until fragrant.
  2. Add the sage leaves and cook for 1 minute. Then add the onion and stir to combine. Season with salt and cook for 3-4 minutes to let the onion soften.
  3. Add in the garlic and stir to combine with the onions. Cook for 2 minutes or until you can no longer smell any raw garlic.
  4. Add in the beets, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and a few cracks of black pepper and stir to combine. Season again with a pinch of salt.
  5. Cover with the lid cracked open and check and stir every five minutes, for 25-30 minutes or until the beets are soft and nearly mashable.
  6. While the beets are cooking, make the spaetzle batter. Whisk together the eggs and half of the water. Then add the flour and salt and whisk again, adding in splashes of water to help everything combine into a thick but smooth batter. Set aside.
  7. When the beets are softened but not mushy, add in two and a half cups of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Let this simmer for 10-12 minutes, breaking up the chunks of beets, until the beet mixture is thick, chunky, and almost sauce-like.
  8. Fill a separate large pot and bring it to a simmer. Working in batches (this usually takes me about four batches), pour about 1/2 cup of spaetzle batter into a ricer or slotted spoon. Use a spatula to encourage the batter to drip out of the ricer and into the simmering pot. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, letting all the dumplings float to the top.
  9. Skim the dumplings out of the water with a spider and add them directly to the beet pot. Mix to combine, adding any remaining vegetable broth to help everything mix together and get all glossy.
  10. Taste the spaetzle and season with a tablespoon of vinegar and salt and pepper as you prefer. Serve warm!