Swabian Soup Noodles (Schwäbische Suppennudeln)
Basics, Noodles, Sides, Soups, Swabian, Vegetarian

Swabian Soup Noodles (‘Schwäbische Suppennudeln’)

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People in Asia might prefer their soup noodles to be spaghetti-like long strips. But from a German perspective, this is a very inconvenient way to enjoy noodle soup. Why would you eat the noodles separate from the broth and other soup ingredients? In a German soup, every ingredient needs to be spoonable. Thus Swabian soup noodles need to be cut short.

The Building Blocks of German Cusine Series
This article is part of my basics series, which will introduce you to key ingredients and preparation methods. You can find all these articles in the ‘Basics’ category of this blog. Listed below are the articles that have yet been published in this series:

What are Swabian soup noodles made of?

When it comes to noodle-making, Swabia often gets reduced to spätzle. I mean, nothing against spätzle. They are tasty. But it’s wrong to assume that all other Western noodles come from Italy. Swabia has always been a region that values grains like wheat and spelt over potatoes. So it is quite logical that noodles are produced in Swabia by countless small noodle manufacturers. If you come to Swabia, there’s no need to purchase Italian noodles. The Swabian ones are just as fine and a local product. Noodles and dumplings in all forms and shapes are traditional in Swabia.

The most important characteristic of soup noodles is that they shouldn’t be mushy. How do we achieve noodles with a good bite? We dry them. We can then later cook them a bit shy of al-dente to get a good bite.

The by far best noodles to dry are semolina noodles. As much as I love spelt, it is much better to prepare and eat those fresh. Spelt noodles have a greyish color that gets enhanced when you dry them. They always look a bit unappetizing in comparison to yellow semolina noodles. Not just homemade spelt noodles are grey. The commercial ones are too. Take a close look the next time you are at the grocery store. The grey spaghettis are the spelt spaghettis.

Why a noodle machine is recommended

A noodle machine will save you a lot of trouble when making Swabian soup noodles. The noodle dough is dry and tough. If you’re looking for a workout, it can be rolled out and cut by hand. But I wouldn’t recommend it. A noodle machine is a cheap investment with a huge return. I wouldn’t make noodles or dumplings without mine.

Don’t panic if the dough seems too dry or crumbly at first. The kneading is done by the noodle machine. Keep folding and passing the noodle dough through the machine until you have a smooth dough sheet. If your dough is too wet, the noodles will be sticky.

In bread making, the master is the one who can handle the wettest dough whereas, in noodle making, the master is the one who can handle the driest dough. For more detailed information, check out my post on how noodles are made.

Noodle dough after mixing
Crumbly and dry noodle dough
Dough sheet ready for cutting
Swabian soup noodles being cut

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