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) makes use of common alpine food available to peasant farmers: flour, milk, cheese, smoked meat, basic vegetables and large collard greens (chard leaves).

The filling is often rich with chopped pieces of meat and vegetables, which are 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 is simple to make a vegan version of this classic. I combine flour, starch, chickpea flour, soy milk and a bit of aquafaba to help bind everything together. Then, I add simple vegetables with a selection of mixed herbs to fold into the dough. That’s pretty much it. Once the dough is made, it is only a matter of filling the softened leaves and finish cooking the capuns in the oven. Roughly 20 minutes later and the capuns are ready to serve.

I like to serve capuns on a sharing platter with a big basket of steamed potatoes and plenty of white wine…ideally on a mountain crest with a wonderful view.

Difficulty: simple- to moderate
Yield: makes about 24 capuns