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Lighter Bündner Barley Soup (Gerstensuppe)
Recipe

Lighter Bündner Barley Soup (Gerstensuppe)

Starter • Switzerland

This everyday-friendly Bündner-style barley soup keeps the familiar comforting taste while using lean ham, plenty of vegetables and milk (instead of cream) for a lighter, satisfying bowl.

Why smarter

More vegetables and barley for volume and fiber, leaner ham for flavour without heaviness, and milk plus a little starch from the soup to create creaminess without cream.

Chef tip

For extra body, mash a few spoonfuls of the cooked vegetables against the pot and stir back in before adding the milk.

Soft line

Simple, warm and properly Swiss.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Pearl barley, rinsed 120.000 g pearl barley
2 Canola oil 1.000 tbsp canola oil
3 Onion, finely diced 1.000 medium onion
4 Leek (white and light green), sliced 1.000 small leek well washed
5 Carrots, diced 2.000 medium carrots
6 Celeriac, peeled and diced 200.000 g celeriac or celery stalks if preferred
7 Waxy potatoes, diced 250.000 g potatoes
8 Garlic, minced 2.000 cloves garlic
9 Vegetable stock 1200.000 ml vegetable stock low-salt if possible
10 Bay leaf 1.000 leaf bay leaf
11 Fresh thyme 1.000 tsp thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
12 Lean cooked ham, diced 120.000 g lean ham e.g., cooked ham slices; avoid fatty bacon
13 Milk (1.5% or semi-skimmed) 250.000 ml milk
14 Black pepper black pepper to taste
15 Salt salt to taste (often minimal with stock + ham)
16 Chopped parsley (optional) 2.000 tbsp parsley for serving

Method

  1. Rinse the pearl barley under cold water until the water runs mostly clear; drain.
  2. Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and leek and cook 4–5 minutes until softened.
  3. Add carrots, celeriac and potatoes. Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, to lightly coat and soften the edges.
  4. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds, then add the drained barley.
  5. Pour in the stock. Add bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
  6. Simmer partly covered for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until barley and vegetables are tender.
  7. Stir in the diced ham and warm through for 2–3 minutes.
  8. Lower the heat and stir in the milk. Heat gently until steaming (do not boil). Remove bay leaf.
  9. Season with black pepper and a little salt if needed. Serve topped with parsley if using.