Wendish Noodles Recipe: A Delicious Side Dish From the "Noodle Ladies" by Donna John

On a trip back from the river, I stopped at a restaurant/gift shop in Schulenburg, Texas, and discovered Wendish noodles. A bag of these noodles found its way home with me and onto my dinner plate.

Never heard of the Wendish? Communities identifying as Wendish are in Slovenia, Austria, Lusatia, the United States (the Texas Wends) and Australia. What are Wendish noodles? Wendish noodles are a staple for the Texas Wends. They are made in-house at the museum by “noodle ladies” and sold in local stores, restaurants and at the Texas Wendish Heritage Society and Museum.

According to an article by Kristi Willis, "Early on Monday and Wednesday mornings, in the converted century-old schoolhouse at the Texas Wendish Heritage Society, three women cheerfully toil away in the kitchen making batch after batch of the delicate, yellow egg noodles that are a cornerstone of their food culture. The Wends are a Slavic sect from Lusatia, now part of eastern Germany, who immigrated to Central Texas in 1854 to escape persecution by the Prussians. The settlers formed a community near Giddings where they could speak their own language and practice their Lutheran faith. It’s the work of the society to preserve Wendish culture through a museum and programs funded, in part, by the sale of those distinctive handcrafted noodles."

Wendish noodles are made with flour, eggs and salt. That's it. To make Wendish noodles you will need a bag of Wendish noodles, chicken broth, butter and parsley. While the directions on the bag of noodles is very vague with the amount of butter, below is the traditional Wendish noodles recipe courtesy of the Texas Wendish Heritage Society. These directions are different from the one on the bag of noodles. I cooked mine according to the package, and they turned out delicious. Either way, you'll end up with a pot of savory noodles which are the perfect side dish with any dinner. (Bag directions are in Recipe Notes.)

Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.

Cuisine: Wendish
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 to 50 minutes (depending on cooking method)
Total Time: 20 to 55 minutes (depending on cooking method)
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 5 cups chicken broth or water (chicken broth is traditional)
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
• 1/2 pound Wendish noodles (from the 1-pound bag)
• chopped parsley, for garnishing (see Recipe Notes)

Helpful Products

• Wendish Noodles
• Wendish Cookbooks
• Parsley Flakes
• Recipe Box
• Recipe Binders
• Ladle
• Measuring Cups
• Soup Bowls
• Can Opener
• Saucepot
• Aluminum Foil
• Airtight Containers

Recipes Notes

• Bag directions: Bring to a boil 10 cups of chicken broth and, if desired, some butter. Add noodles, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and allow to rest, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not drain. Eat and enjoy!

• While you can use water, chicken broth is the way to go. It adds flavor to the noodles.
  

• I used parsley flakes instead of fresh parsley and about 3 tablespoons of butter. 

Here's how to make it: 

1. Bring the chicken broth to a rolling boil in a saucepot.
   
2. Add the butter and noodles.
   
3. Cook for 10 minutes then add the parsley, if using. (You could also cook the noodles for 3 to 4 minutes, turn off the heat, cover with foil and a lid and let sit for several minutes before serving.)
   

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 120

Total Fat: 12g

Saturated Fat: 7.4g

Cholesterol: 32mg

Sodium: 281mg

Total Carbohydrate: 1.8g

Dietary Fiber: 0.1g

Total Sugars: 0.2g

Protein: 1.7g

Vitamin D: 8mcg

Calcium: 7mg

Iron: 0mg

Potassium: 60mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily.