Banner of the cookbook Simply Swiss by Andie Pilot, featuring 64 easy Swiss recipes, set on a wooden background with culinary illustrations and a red-and-white checkered tablecloth.
Posted: 25.3.25
Tags: swiss cuisine recipe ideas cookbook

By Lisa Waldvogel

 

Switzerland isn't just about chocolate and fondue (although, let's be honest, who could say no?). It's also a generous, authentic and flavorful cuisine, where cheese is enjoyed in all its forms, and where even a simple salad makes a statement.


With Simply Swiss by Andie Pilot, we've come up with five ultra-easy, yet terribly tasty recipes for a 100% Swiss menu. Even if “capuns” sounds more like a Swiss-German insult to you than a dish from Graubünden. No more excuses, it's time to feast!

Appetizer: Cheese ramequins

Cheese ramekins are the quintessential Swiss touch: seemingly simple, yet irresistibly gourmet. Beneath their crisp, golden crust lies a melting heart that makes all the difference. Gruyère? Appenzeller? A homemade blend? The choice is yours!


But beware: their success is based on two essential elements: a cheese with character and a well-buttered dough. Yes, the temptation to buy a ready-made pastry is great, but resist! Your guests will thank you... and maybe even ask for more.

Ramequins with melting cheese, perfect for a tasty, convivial aperitif. Ramequins with melting cheese, perfect for a tasty, convivial aperitif.
Perfect for a gourmet appetizer with friends: crispy on the outside, melt-in-the-mouth on the inside, these little cheese bites will disappear in an instant!

Starter: Chalet soup

Imagine a big table after a day's hiking in the Alps: fresh air, the smell of wood and cut grass, the simple pleasure of gathering around a good meal. At the center of the table, a steaming pot ready to revive hungry stomachs. 


Chalet soup is all this in a spoonful: a simple, authentic dish, combining melting potatoes, golden onions, rustic pasta, rich cream and, of course, a dollop of cheese (because in Switzerland, we don't mess around with cheese). Enhanced with wild herbs or nettles, as Alpine shepherds used to do. Pure mountain goodness in a bowl.

Warm, hearty soup with pasta, chard or spinach and melting cheese. Warm, hearty soup with pasta, chard or spinach and melting cheese.
A dish from the Swiss mountains, chalet soup brings together potatoes, pasta and cheese for a comforting meal, perfect for days of outdoor adventure.

Dish: Capuns gratin

Capuns are a centuries-old specialty of Graubünden. Traditionally, the stuffing is wrapped in chard leaves and baked in the oven over a low heat. A typical mountain dish, comforting, but not necessarily the quickest to prepare. Fortunately, Simple.Bon.Suisse has found the solution: a simplified version in gratin form. Easier to make, but just as tasty - and between you and me, gratinating a dish is rarely a bad idea!

Vegetarian capun gratin with vegetables, herbs and melting cheese, a tasty and nourishing dish Vegetarian capun gratin with vegetables, herbs and melting cheese, a tasty and nourishing dish
Originally, capuns were made from leftover meat and wrapped in chard leaves - an ideal recipe for Swiss shepherds. Today, they've been reinvented as a gratin, quicker to prepare but just as delicious!

Accompaniment: Lamb's lettuce salad

A salad, you say? Absolutely. But don't run off just yet! This is a lamb's lettuce salad, a staple of Swiss cuisine. This little touch of greenery adds a welcome freshness that perfectly offsets the richness of the main course. With a homemade vinaigrette, it becomes a simple, tasty side dish that perfectly complements the rest of the menu.

A fresh, crisp lamb's lettuce salad with homemade vinaigrette and fresh eggs, perfect for accompanying your meals. A fresh, crisp lamb's lettuce salad with homemade vinaigrette and fresh eggs, perfect for accompanying your meals.
Lamb's lettuce is often used in typical Swiss dishes. Its tender texture and subtle flavor make it the ideal accompaniment to a hearty meal.

Dessert : Höobeeristurm

An unpronounceable name, but a simple, delicious dessert! Höobeeri means “blueberry” in Swiss German, and in the Emmental, they're eaten the Sturm (“storm”) way: baked, mixed with cream and served with toast. But don't panic! If you don't have any blueberries on hand, this recipe also works with raspberries, blackberries or even cherries. If fresh fruit is in short supply, frozen fruit will do just fine. A fresh, light dessert that can be made any time of year!

Höobeeristurm, a dessert with blueberries, cream and toast, a light delicacy that can be adapted to seasonal fruits. Höobeeristurm, a dessert with blueberries, cream and toast, a light delicacy that can be adapted to seasonal fruits.
The dessert that creates a 'storm' of flavors! A recipe from Emmental that proves it doesn't take much to create a gourmet moment.

With this menu, you have everything you need to impress your guests without spending hours in the kitchen. Swiss cuisine is simple, good and comforting - and Simply Swiss proves, with its clever blend of tradition and modernity, that anyone can make it. Get cooking!