Using your starter: blender sourdough veggie waffles
Look, I married him anyway, but my partner doesn’t really go for breakfast for dinner. I KNOW. It’s madness, and I will never understand. If I served breakfast for dinner, he would utter nary a word, because he’s that kind of guy, but he isn’t a fan. And I know this, so generally, I don’t.
Unless he’s out or traveling or otherwise occupied for dinner. Then, it’s scrambled eggs on Vegemite toast, it’s smoothies and cereal, it’s oatmeal pancakes, it’s veggie waffles. Yes, that’s right, I have managed to confuse my children by presenting vegetables in a happy little waffle package, drizzled with maple syrup, happily glistening and golden-green, and they gobble them up happily. It’s quite remarkable, because my kids are not the mythical, carrot-munching, kale-devouring, asparagus-stealing marvels that apparently really do exist in the real world. These waffles are a non-sneaky veritable vegetable victory.
I like them too! They’re a bit tangy and earthy, but still quite waffley, and with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup, they are only slightly virtuous. The key, in my opinion, is the use of a high-powered blender; I use my Vitamix to blitz all the ingredients into smithereens, thereby making it possible for the kiddos to ingest the vegetables without a hint of leaf, stem, or seed. I don’t know about yours, but my oldest will spend hours – literally hours – chewing a single piece of carrot. I vaguely remember doing the same thing when I was a kid, something about the impenetrable texture, but it’s pretty gross to be around. Once everything has been blended fully smooth, they require minimal chewing, making for a much happier carrot experience.
I like this vegetable combination – kale, bell pepper, and carrot – but have had good luck with summer squash and celery as well. This is a great way to use up whatever is in your crisper drawer, so I’d encourage you to get creative. I adapted this recipe from this one for savory veggie waffles at Healthy Nibbles and Bits. That recipe doesn’t have you blend them, but I know my kiddos wouldn’t go for even the minuscule chunks, plus tossing everything in the Vitamix really does make this a super quick weeknight dinner. Less cleanup, too. The batter is smooth and runny, and should be easy to pour onto your iron.
The other bonus of my adaptation is its use of your overflowing starter. You can definitely go the buttermilk or yogurt path instead, but I always have extra starter lying around, and it’s just the right tang and just the right consistency, and it keeps the starter out of the compost. In this case, the sourdough starter is really just for flavor; it’s not doing any of the rising work.
The cooking will depend on your waffle iron; I like to let these cook thoroughly so they are quite crisp and uniformly-textured. I have a great waffle iron that I highly recommend, the Chef’s Choice Classic Waffle Pro 854. I am opposed to Belgian waffles, so I can’t tell you how these would turn out on such a waffle iron, but if you give it a go, let me know.
Blender sourdough veggie waffles
Ingredients
- 250 g sourdough starter (about 1 cup, doesn't really matter where it is in its cycle, as long as it's healthy)
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 30-40 g parmesan cheese
- 3-4 leaves lacinato kale, roughly torn and deribbed
- 4 small carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (about 100g worth)
- 1/4 red bell pepper, cut into chunks (about 50g worth)
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks (about 50g worth)
- 145 g whole wheat pastry flour (1 cup)
- 73 g all purpose flour (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 235 g water (about 1 cup)
Instructions
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Get your waffle iron plugged in and heating up.
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Into your high speed blender, add, in this order: sourdough starter, oil, eggs, your veggies, and the hunk of parmesan cheese. Blend thoroughly, at high speed, using your tamper if needed.
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Add in the flours, baking powder, salt, and water and blend again.
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Once your waffle iron is ready, carefully spoon the batter into your iron and allow to bake. Mine takes one cup full. If your waffle iron has a setting to cook through to a uniform texture, I think they're tastier. I set mine to the second highest setting, but you know how you like your waffles done!
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Serve. We like them with tangy Greek yogurt and maple syrup.
What goes into your favorite waffles?