Classic Swiss Alpine Food Made Vegan
Classic Swiss alpine food as vegan variations: Älplermagronen, Capuns, Spätzli, and Zopf
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I’ve hiked for hours to reach a hidden waterfall or to attempt my first suspension bridge crossing. I’ve climbed moderate peaks with spectacular 360° views of the Alps...even in the relative darkness of a full moon hike. Access to outdoor adventures is one reason I love calling Switzerland home.
Of course, there’s also an inevitable disappointment when I pause at an alpine restaurant during a long hike and discover there isn’t much I can eat – except maybe a small salad, which might have hard-boiled eggs or dairy in the dressing. Don’t get me wrong – I love a fresh salad – but after hiking for hours, carbs are what I crave.
Alpine cuisine is dominated by staple foods easily made or preserved by farmers. This typically means a lot of milk from grazing cows or goats, products from abundant dairy (cheese and yogurt), cereals, and preserved meats (dried or smoked). These standard ingredients make up most dishes that hungry hikers or skiers enjoy while pausing on large sun-soaked decks. The air might be fresh at these altitudes, but it is also often perfumed with a heavy dose of melting cheese.
I once hiked up a mountain in eastern Switzerland near Davos. The hike was demanding, and I was famished when we reached the summit. Like many Swiss mountaintop locations, there was a restaurant with a large deck at the top with endless views of mountains dissolving into the blue horizon.
Hiking sticks and backpacks were scattered across the deck on this warm, late summer day. I noticed a few diners were enjoying plates of älplermagronen – a strange combination of potatoes, pasta, caramelized onions, and apple puree that defies food logic but tastes excellent. Others were eating rösti with grilled sausage in a dark onion sauce. A few American tourists were happily dunking bread into a large red Caquelon filled with fondue – an act that is frowned upon by locals during the summer months. The group at the table next to me enjoyed a platter of capuns and steamed potatoes while working on a second bottle of white wine.
It was a lovely setting...but we felt left out – somehow ostracized by our dietary preferences. The idea of eating plant-based food hasn’t entirely made its way up the mountain...yet.
I accept there won’t be many vegan options for me anytime soon as I continue to enjoy the wonders of hiking the Swiss Alps. I’ve learned to pack my food for those trips, but that still doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a little bit of Swiss alpine tradition at home…and that is why I’ve created my variations of some Swiss classics.
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Älplermagronen
I recall feeling extremely skeptical the first time I had a plate of this traditional Swiss mountain food. It seemed like a confused mess of carbohydrates with grated cheese, caramelized onions...and, oddly, apple sauce on the side. In my mind, I couldn’t see how the dish would work.
In retrospect, my judgment was probably premature...perhaps even insulting to my partner (now wife).
The humble ingredients worked marvelously together to form a satisfying and rich plate of food. And those onions…well, they made the dish irresistible. The sweetness of the onions and their slightly crunchy texture acted like the perfect seasoning to balance the rich load of carbs. Every mouthful was an unexpected explosion of flavor.
Be sure to allow enough time to carefully caramelize the onions – the process takes 30-45 minutes, but it is essential to the success of this recipe. Serve with a small bowl of apple sauce on the side – it seems strange, but like the onions, the apples supply acidity and a refreshing break that acts as a sort of cleansing. Try it…and I hope you take the time to make apple sauce.
Swiss Capuns
I’m not sure when I first ate Swiss capuns, but I guess it was somewhere in the Alps – probably the eastern part of Switzerland, where this delicious recipe comes from.
The original recipe (or more or less original, because there are probably well over 130 different Swiss versions) uses typical alpine food for peasant farmers: flour, milk, cheese, smoked meat, basic vegetables, and large collard greens (chard leaves).
The filling is often rich with chopped meat and vegetables, rolled within lightly blanched green leaves, and then braised for about 15-20 minutes. Perfect mountain food to share with friends and family…and a drink or two.
I found it simple to make a vegan version of this classic. I combine flour, chickpea flour, arrowroot starch, and soy milk to create a wet dough. I add simple vegetables with mixed herbs to fold into the dough...and that’s pretty much it. Once the dough is made, it is only a matter of filling the softened leaves and cooking the capuns in the oven. Roughly 15-20 minutes later, the capuns are ready to serve.
I like serving capuns on a sharing platter with a herbed white wine sauce, steamed potatoes on the side, and plenty of white wine to wash it all down...ideally, while sitting on a mountain crest and enjoying a beautiful view.
Spätzli
I first encountered this classic Germanic dish when I came to Switzerland. Once I tried it, I was hooked.
Spätzli probably originated from Bavaria or parts of Tirol in Austria. The traditional method involved putting a bit of batter on a damp cutting board and cutting strips of dough into the boiling water. It’s a fabulous method, but it's a bit time–consuming.
The Swiss version relies on using a sieve-like device that sits on a pot. The batter is placed onto the sieve and pushed through the holes and into the simmering water. This method produces smaller, button-like spätzli that the Swiss call Knöpfli (small buttons).
The conventional mixture typically falls between a batter and a dough in terms of consistency. It commonly includes eggs, milk, and flour, with occasional additions of chestnut or buckwheat flour.
My vegan variation is simple to prepare…and deliciously light. The recipe can be easily adapted to include different flavors by adding chopped herbs, spices, or flour types. Like pasta, gluten development is essential in helping spätzli keep its shape.
I enjoy the base version tossed in olive oil and dusted with chopped herbs or pesto. Serve alone as a starter or with roasted vegetables and mushrooms for a more substantial meal. Cooked spätzli can be refrigerated for 3-5 days. Gently reheat in a pan with a bit of oil and water.
Zopf
Zopf is a classic Swiss bread enjoyed throughout the country each weekend. It is a distinctive-looking braided bread similar to the more widely known challah. Traditional recipes include lots of butter, milk, and sometimes an egg.
Zopf has always been one of my favorite breads. It’s incredibly delicious when enjoyed about 30 minutes out of the oven and slathered with jam on a lazy Sunday morning. I’ve been making my vegan version regularly for many years. I replaced the milk with soy milk and the butter with extra virgin olive oil or unprocessed rapeseed oil.
Most people find the braiding process a bit complicated at first, but it’s simple to master quickly. I made a short instructional video way back in 2008 that is available on YouTube. It’s a popular video—even today—but be forewarned: We made the traditional version of the bread in my pre-vegan days, so the recipe and video will have butter and milk in them. How to Make Zopf.
The recipe makes about 1 1/2 kilograms (a bit more than 3 pounds). I typically make 2-4 loaves from this amount, freezing all but one of them.
More Swiss Food Ideas
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Indeed, I wouldn't associate Swiss food with vegan food, but all of these seem very good! Really liked the writing too!
My partner is vegan and also tries to eat fat-free (heart condition). We have our diets figured out at home but it’s very challenging to travel. We were so grateful last night when an Italian restaurant offered to make him cavatelli with broccoli rabe and cherry tomatoes and nothing else. At home I would have put some white beans in it.