Soupe de chalet
Soupe de chalet comes from the mountain huts of the Fribourg Alps, around Gruyères and the Jaun valley, where herdsmen spending the summer with their cows made a hearty soup from what they had: potatoes, leeks, spinach and whatever the garden gave, small pasta, milk and cream from the herd, finished with a handful of melting Gruyère. Today it is the comfort food of Fribourg's autumn and the Désalpe, when the herds come down. Gruyère is made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian Swiss-style cheese. A common mistake is boiling it hard once the milk goes in, which can split it. Chef's tip: add the cheese to each bowl rather than to the pot, so it melts into strings as you eat.



