Bündner Gerstensuppe (Swiss Barley Soup)

Disclaimer: This post contains a recipe highlighting a different country or culture. While I strive for authenticity, I sometimes need to make adjustments to recipes due to ingredient availability.  



Eat the World is hopping on a plane to Switzerland this month!


You guys - I almost missed this one!  Life has been super chaotic and it just kept slipping my mind.  Then Hubs was out of town, then me dear, sweet grandma passed away and there was tons of travel to say goodbye…


Anyway, once we got back, I had just enough time to dig through my pantry and dig through some  Swiss blogs to find a recipe for this month!


Lo and behold, after returning from my grandma’s funeral to a chilly house (only 60 degrees indoors with outdoor highs in the low 50s) it was very fortuitous that I found a great soup recipe that I had all the ingredients for!



This soup is nice because it’s hearty without feeling heavy and bright enough (thanks to the veggies) to serve as a perfect bridge between summer and fall recipes!

Check out all the wonderful Swiss dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Find out how to join Eat the World here and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

Bündner Gerstensuppe (Swiss Barley Soup)

Adapted from Helvetic Kitchen


12 ounces bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

2 potatoes, diced

1 leek, sliced

Salt & pepper

1 quart chicken broth

⅔ cup pearled barley

1 cup lowfat milk



Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate.  Pour off the drippings, reserving about 1 tablespoon.


Add the vegetables and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the chicken broth and barley.  Cook for 45 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.


Stir in the milk and reserved bacon and serve.


Serves 4

Amy Eats the World in...

Cuba: Ropa Vieja (Slow Cooker Beef)
Ireland: Cheesy Potato Soup with Irish Ale
Thailand: Chicken Satay
Kenya: Crunchy N’Dizi (Peanut Crusted Bananas)
Sweden: Rodbetssallad med Getost (Grated Beet Salad with Goat Cheese)
New Zealand: Kiwi Burge
France: Fougasse (Provencal Flatbread)
Argentina: Chimichurri Sauce
Mexico (Halloween Special): Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)
India: Spiced Golden Mil
Poland: Chrusciki (Angel Wing Cookies)
Ethiopia: Buticha (Hummus)
England: Wizarding World of Harry Potter Leaky Cauldron-Style Mini Cottage Pie 
Georgia: Lobiani (Bean-Stuffed Bread)
Mexico: Crispy Pork Carnitas
Cambodia: Loc Lac (Shredded Beef with Lime)
Israel: Chicken Albondigas (Chicken Meatballs)
Finland: Sima (Lemonade) 
Puerto Rico: Arroz con Tocino  (Rice with Bacon)
Egypt: Ghorayebah Cookies
Ukraine: Scuffles (Rohalyky) Cinnamon Crescent Rolls
Portugal: Bitoque (Steak & Eggs) 
Germany (Christmas Special): Lebkuchenherzen (German "Gingerbread" Cookies) 
Trinidad & Tobago: Trini Macaroni Pie 
Iraq: T'bit (Slow Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice) 
Fiji: Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal) 
Senegal: Cafe Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee) 
Colombia: Cañón de Cerdo (Colombia-Style Pork Loin Roast) 
Soul Food (United States): Oven-Baked Ribs with Cola BBQ Sauce 
Bangladesh: Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli Pudding) 
The Netherlands: Dutch Farmer’s Cheese Soup (Boerenkaas Soep) 
Laos: Khao Piak Sen (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup) 
Jamaica: Chicken &  Pumpkin Soup 
Vietnam: Vietnamese Chicken Porridge (Chao Ga) 
Sudan: Red Lentil Soup (Sudanese Addas) 
Luxembourg: Bouchée à la Reine (Vol-au-Vent)
Uruguay: Pasta Caruso

Lesotho: Borotho Bread
Scotland: Tattie Scones
Native American Tribes of North America: Wild Rice, Squash, & Corn Soup
Guyana: Butterflaps
Réunion Island: Rougail Z'Andouille
Australia: Fairy Bread
Turkey: Simit Bread

Philipines: Pork Siomai

French Polynesia: Vanilla Bean Lemonade
Seychelles: Creole Rice

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