Buendner Gerstensuppe
A classic Swiss barley soup from Graubünden with air-dried beef, lamb sirloin, pearl barley, and cream — a traditional alpine masterpiece.
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 3 0.5 oz knob celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 7 oz air-dried beef or smoked bacon, diced
- 1 salted pork knuckle, cooked, boned and cut into pieces
- 3 0.5 oz pearl barley
- 0.5 cup dry white wine
- 8 cup bouillon
- 7/8 cup whipping cream
- 2 0.5 oz butter
- 5 0.5 oz lamb sirloin
- 1 tbsp clarified butter
- 1 tbsp parsley and marjoram, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Finely chop 1 onion. Clean, trim, and dice/slice vegetables. Dice beef or bacon.
- 2
Heat 1 oz butter in a large saucepan. Sauté onion and vegetables. Add barley and beef, sauté briefly.
- 3
Add knuckle meat and moisten with wine. Cover with bouillon and add the whole onion (with cloves and bay leaf pushed in). Bring to a boil and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours.
- 4
Stir cream and remaining butter into soup; season with salt and pepper.
- 5
Season lamb, heat clarified butter, and sear meat on both sides for 3 minutes — don't overcook. Slice lamb thinly and add to soup. Serve in soup plates, sprinkled with chopped parsley and garnished with marjoram.