Flädle-Suppe und Spätzle

Flädle-Suppe

I continued with my German reminiscence today. Another staple for Sunday lunch when we ate out in Stuttgart was the Flädle-Suppe. It's a beef broth served with pancake strips.

The broth is best made the day before (e.g. with bone marrow and oxtail) so that the fat could be skimmed off and the soup filtered. Then heat up a pot with a little oil and brown some onions, a bay leaf or 2 and a few cloves. Pour the broth into the pot, add some celery and simmer for another 30 minutes or more.

In the meantime, cook a pancake from a batter that you would have prepared at least an hour before. Do it like a French crepe - only thicker. Cut it into strips and add them to the soup before serving.

The soup was followed by another Swäbisch dish - Spinach Spätzle. Very easy dish, I usually just fry some bacon bits and diced onions in butter, add in the spätzle when they are fragrant, stir a bit. Add in more butter, toss in a pinch of salt and pepper and before serving, melt some cheese in the spätzle and then serve hot.

Spinach Spätzle

Very nice once in a while but not something you would want to eat all the time. Heavy the spätzle is.