Bircher muesli
Birchermüesli: Dr Bircher-Benner's original apple-rich soaked oat dish from Zürich
Around 1900 the Zürich doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner served his sanatorium patients a small bowl of raw food before every meal, which he called d'Spys (the dish): a spoonful of soaked oats, plenty of grated apple, lemon juice, nuts and condensed milk. His original was mostly apple, not mostly oats, and that is what sets it apart from the dry muesli mix sold in packets. Swiss cafés and railway kiosks still serve Birchermüesli for breakfast or a light supper, creamy, sharp and fresh, now often with yogurt and berries. This version keeps his balance: oats soaked overnight, a whole apple grated in at the last moment, lemon, hazelnuts and a little honey and yogurt. Chef's tip: grate the apple straight into the lemon juice, skin and all, and stir at once; it stays pale and juicy instead of turning brown.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz rolled oats
- ½ cup water
- 3 ½ tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juiceabout ½ lemon
- 2 applescrisp and slightly tart, unpeeled
- 3 ½ oz natural yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 oz hazelnutsroughly chopped
- 3 ½ oz mixed berries (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: The night before (or at least 1 hour ahead), stir 2 ⅛ oz rolled oats with ½ cup water and 3 ½ tbsp milk in a bowl, cover and refrigerate. The oats will swell and turn soft and creamy.
5 minStep 2: In the morning, put 2 tbsp lemon juice in a large bowl. Grate 2 apples on the coarse side of a box grater straight into it, turning each grated handful through the juice. Stop at the core.
Step 3: Stir in the soaked oats, 3 ½ oz natural yogurt and 1 tbsp honey. The mixture should be loose and creamy, with more apple than oats. The usual mistake is grating the apple the night before: it browns and goes watery, so always add it fresh.
Step 4: Spoon into bowls and scatter over 1 oz hazelnuts and 3 ½ oz mixed berries. Eat straight away, while the apple is crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bircher muesli take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rolled oats?
- Quick oats, same amount.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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