Swiss Recipes

Swiss food is really several cuisines in one small country. The German-speaking north and center cook with potatoes, pork, veal and dairy, which gives rösti, sliced veal in cream sauce and macaroni baked with potatoes and cheese. The French-speaking west leans toward leeks, sausages and cream-topped desserts, and Valais is known for raclette. Ticino, the Italian-speaking south, eats polenta, risotto and braised meats, while the Romansh valleys of Graubünden are known for barley soup, chard parcels and walnut tart. What unites them is cheese, from Gruyère and Emmental to Appenzeller and raclette cheese, along with mountain dairy, cured meats and a baking tradition built on butter, almonds and honey. Meals follow the seasons: fondue and raclette in winter, Birchermüesli for breakfast, a braided loaf on Sunday, and spiced cookies at Christmas and at the carnival in Basel.

Staple ingredients

• Gruyère, Emmental and Appenzeller cheese
• potatoes
• veal and pork
• butter and cream
• air-dried and cured meats
• barley and corn
• walnuts and almonds
• apples

• Breakfast 1
• Soups 1
• Salads 1
• Main Dishes 9
• Side Dishes 1
• Breads 1
• Desserts 4

Breakfast

• Birchermüesli (Swiss Bircher Muesli)CH13 minEasy

Soups

• Bündner Gerstensuppe (Graubünden Barley Soup)CH1 h 25 minEasy

Salads

• Wurstsalat (Swiss Sausage and Cheese Salad)CH20 minEasy

Main Dishes

• Käsefondue (Swiss Cheese Fondue)CH40 minEasy
• Raclette (Swiss Melted Cheese with Potatoes)CH55 minEasy
• Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (Zurich-Style Veal in Cream Sauce)CH50 minMedium
• St. Galler Bratwurst mit Zwiebelsauce (Veal Sausage with Onion Gravy)CH1 hEasy
• Älplermagronen (Swiss Alpine Macaroni)CH55 minEasy
• Capuns (Graubünden Swiss Chard Parcels)CH1 h 35 minMedium
• Papet Vaudois (Vaud Leek and Potato Stew with Sausage)CH1 h 25 minEasy
• Risotto con Luganighe (Ticino Sausage Risotto)CH50 minMedium
• Zwiebelwähe (Swiss Onion Tart)CH1 h 50 minMedium

Side Dishes

• Rösti (Swiss Crispy Potato Cake)CH1 h 5 minMedium

Breads

• Zopf (Swiss Sunday Braided Bread)CH1 h 20 minMedium

Desserts

• Basler Läckerli (Basel Spiced Honey Cookies)CH43 minEasy
• Engadiner Nusstorte (Swiss Walnut Caramel Tart)CH1 h 45 minMedium
• Meringues with Double Cream (Meringues à la Crème Double)CH1 h 55 minMedium
• Rüeblitorte (Swiss Carrot and Almond Cake)CH1 h 30 minMedium