Shoup Noodles

Every year, on Good Friday, my mom makes Shoup Noodles for dinner.  It’s one of those traditions that has passed down through generations.  My mom remembers eating Shoup Noodles on many Fridays (Lent or no as she grew up never eating meat on Fridays (my children’s’ hearts just stopped at the thought of meatless pizza-movie night always - haha)).

Until this year, I’ve never had a reason to make shoups, since I’m always at my parents’ house for Easter.  Until quarantine and COVID and this year.  My state was not shelter in place for Easter, yet we made the extremely difficult decision to stay home for Easter (the kids were devastated).

So I called my mom and asked her for the recipes for the Easter weekend meals (happy to have family recipes, yet wishing I was at her house).

So here we are with shoups. 

In researching, “shoups” as we call them are likely a version of schupfnudeln – a German potato noodle (also called finger noodles), however none of the recipes I found online are quite like my family’s recipe.

The recipe for the noodles is extremely similar to the recipe for knoephla.  Interesting side note – knoephla soup, while a German recipe I received from my mom was not one that was passed down through the family (my mom learned the recipe when I was around middle school aged).  The German recipes for schupfnudeln are more similar to Norwegian lefse (potato and flour are combined together to make the dough).

In my family recipe, however, the noodle is made of flour and water and the potato only comes in as a topping while the noodles cook.  Someday I may try the original schupfnudeln, but my family recipe is so delicious, I don’t want to mess with it!

These are basically a salty fried noodle and they are addictively delicious.  Even the kids can’t stop eating these and they were the ones who hogged the leftovers for the next couple days!

Shoup Noodles

Noodles

5 cups all purpose flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ - 2 cups water, as needed

To cook

1 large potato, peeled and sliced thin

2 cup water, per skillet

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, per skillet

1 teaspoon salt, per skillet

Mix together the flour and baking powder.  Add enough water to make a smooth dough.

Pinch off bits of dough and roll into thin dumplings.

Heat 2 cups of water to boiling in 2 lidded skillets (otherwise working batches).  Add the shortening and salt.

Add the noodles, in a single layer, if possible.  Top with slices of potato and cover.

Cook until the water is absorbed and noodles are browned on the bottom.  If possible, avoid lifting the lid (listen for the sizzle!)

Once the bottoms are browned, remove cover, and flip, lightly frying on the other side.  Serve hot.