Bündner Barley Soup (Bündner Gerstensuppe)
Overview
Bündner Gerstensuppe is a creamy barley soup from the canton of Graubünden in the Swiss Alps. Pearl barley is cooked slowly with leek, carrot, celeriac, onion and smoked meat such as bacon, ham or a smoked pork shank. Near the end a little cream and sometimes an egg yolk are stirred in to make the soup smooth and rich. Strips of air-dried Bündnerfleisch beef are often added on top. It is a warming dish served in mountain huts and ski restaurants.
History
Barley grows well at high altitude and was a staple crop in Graubünden long before potatoes arrived. Thick barley soups with smoked meat were winter food for farming families. Today the soup is one of the best-known dishes of the canton and is found on menus across Switzerland, especially in the cold months. Every Graubünden family and mountain hut has its own version of the recipe.
Main ingredients
Pearl barley, smoked meat, leek, carrot and celeriac, cream, dried beef. The soup is built on meat stock and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Beef soups · Leek soups · Barley and grains soups
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~105 min
Ingredients
- 120 g pearl barley
- 150 g smoked bacon or ham
- 1 leek, 1 carrot, 1 piece celeriac, 1 onion
- 1.5 l meat stock
- 100 ml cream
- a few slices Bündnerfleisch
Allergens: Contains: Celery, Gluten, Milk. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Soften the bacon and diced vegetables in butter.
- Add the barley and stock and simmer for 75 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and season.
- Serve with strips of dried beef.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
