En Guetä! A Swiss Food Blog
We were at the deli counter in Canada, choosing sandwich toppings, when my Swiss cousin was asked the impossible question.
She turned to me, confusion on her face.
“Uh, Swiss?” was her instinctive reply.
The girl making the sandwich reached into her stainless steel bin and peeled off a piece of the holey, white, processed cheese.
“Whats Swiss cheese?” my cousin whispered.
Of course throughout North America, Swiss simply denotes a white, very mild, often processed cheese, with holes. However in Switzerland, there is no Swiss cheese, instead there are numerous varieties from different regions, some with holes and some not. And pretty much all of them are delicious.
My guide to some of the most popular Swiss cheeses, can be found here.
The beauty of this soup is that it can be made with any of the hard Swiss cheeses, depending on your mood (or whats on sale at the supermarket).
Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a starter
175 g stale bread, cubed
200 g hard Swiss cheese, grated
roasted onions to garnish (optional)
Put the stale bread in large bowl. Warm the broth and pour over the bread, let this sit for a few minutes.
In a large pot, melt the butter then add the onions and fry until they are translucent. Carefully pour in the bread broth mixture and give a good stir. Add the cheese and cook over medium high heat until it is melted.
Using an immersion blender, whizz the soup together.
Garnish with pepper and serve.
- Any hard Swiss cheese will do. Or you could mix different cheeses together. I recommend 50/50 Vacherin Fribourgeois and Gruyère.
- Any broth will do as well, chicken, beef, vegetable, whatever strikes your fancy.
- Be careful when pouring the brothy bread into the soup pot, this bowl can be hot and unwieldy. Ladle it in if you feel unsure.
- Sprinkle with some roasted onions to garnish.
Swiss Canadian. Obsessed with all things Swiss cuisine.
Swiss Cheese Soup With Bread Bowls
FAQ
Does Swiss melt in soup?
Does Swiss cooking cheese melt?
Which cheese is used in soups?
How do you get cheese to melt in soup?
Does Cheese Melt well in soup?
Not all cheeses melt well, so it’s important to choose a cheese that has good melting properties. Additionally, if the heat is too low or if the soup is not hot enough, the cheese may not melt properly. Lastly, if the cheese is added too early in the cooking process, it may become stringy instead of fully melting.
Why is cheese not melting in soup?
Cheese may not be melting in your soup for a few reasons. One possibility is that you are using the wrong type of cheese. Not all cheeses melt well, so it’s important to choose a cheese that has good melting properties. Additionally, if the heat is too low or if the soup is not hot enough, the cheese may not melt properly.
How do you melt cheese in soup?
Add in a splash of water which is about 2 tablespoons in the pot full of soup and cover the pot with a lid. This will bring in a lot of moisture into the surface of the pot and result in the soup melting. This is because moisture generally helps the cheese to break down. Now, this method won’t work if you’ve used sharp cheddar cheese.
Does alcohol break down cheese in soup?
Alcohol helps break down cheese. So if the cheese in your soup isn’t melting, add a splash of alcohol and let it melt. Make sure to add the alcohol while the soup is still being cooked. But make sure you don’t pour in too much alcohol. This will completely alter the flavor and might even ruin the soup.