Soupe de Chalet
Full of greens and cream, the classic Fribourger Soup de Chalet, is sure to warm your belly.
Like the best alpine dishes, Soupe de Chalet relies on ingredients that farmers already had on the Alp (or calorie-rich items that they could easily transport up to the Alp, like pasta). Likely there was a garden patch up there, with onions and potatoes and, of course, cream and cheese would have been abundant. Throw in a handful of wild spinach or nettles, along with some wild herbs and you’re cooking.
The first time I tasted this soup was when I lived in Neuchâtel as a teenager. Some classmates and I made the trip to Gruyères to visit the old town and eat cheese. While most of us opted for a moitié-moitié for lunch, two of my friends tried the Soupe de Chalet instead. We were all duly impressed to see the wooden bowls set down on the table, with beautifully carved wooden spoons to dip into the creamy soup.
I was kindly offered a spoonful—delicious.
(I had initially thought that they were missing out by not having fondue, but quickly realized that I might be missing out on not having soup.)
I don’t have the beautiful wooden bowls or spoons required, but this recipe did allow me to christen our soup tureen. When we moved into our house in the Emmental, we were left with some real treasures from the previous owners, including this tureen. It made our meal so fancy, that my mother even agreed to lend me her grandmother’s silver ladle for serving.
The ingredients in modern recipes for Soup de Chalet do vary, with many (Betty Bossi, Swissmilk) adding in additional vegetables like leeks, carrots and kohlrabi. Few alpine kitchens would have had these veggies, so my recipe more closely resembles those from Terroir Fribourg and La Gruyère, that only add greens.
Although this would have been made up in the alp on cool summer nights, it is also nice in autumn, when evenings grow dark and you can throw in any herbs you have left in the garden. I simplified by using frozen spinach instead of fresh, no nettles, and I took down the amount of cream, though use your discretion and bump it up, if you like.
1 tbsp butter
2 onions, chopped
around 750 g potatoes, cubed
500 ml milk
1 L vegetable stock
150 g spinach
a handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped
nutmeg, salt and pepper
150 g macaroni
75 ml cream
Gruyère cheese, grated
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the onions and fry until translucent. Add the potatoes and fry a minute more.
Add the milk and stock, then the spinach.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the macaroni and herbs and cook for about 15 minutes more, or until the pasta is tender.
Stir in the cream, then it is ready to serve.
Place a little grated Gruyere in the bottom of each bowl and spoon the soup over top.
Most varieties of potatoes can be used, the consistency of the soup may just differ slightly. A floury/mehligkochend potato, like those you use for mashed potatoes has a tendency to fall apart easier and may thicken the soup more. Festkochened/waxy potatoes will hold their shape better. It’s a good idea to quickly test the potato for doneness before adding the macaroni. The Swiss potato website kartoffel.ch lists all their waxy and floury potatoes and highlights their best uses.
I took herbs from my garden—tarragon, rosemary, mint, oregano, thyme, chives—but you can use what you have on hand.
You can use other kinds of short, soup-friendly pasta, and the cooking time will of course depend on what kind you use. Be sure to check for doneness before adding the cream.
As for the amount of cream, I usually just pour in a good swig (around 100 ml). Some recipes use as much as 300 ml, but I find that slightly too rich.
It’s also choose-your-own-adventure for the grated cheese—I use about a handful of grated cheese per bowl (around 30 g per person), but use more or less depending on what you prefer, just don’t leave it out, I think it makes the dish.
More soup?
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