11 Recipes to Honor St. Bernard of Clairvaux
“Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. Happy is the man who takes refuge in Him.” – St. Bernard of Clairvaux
The life of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) was marked by devotion, simplicity, and a deep love for God. As one of the most influential voices of the Cistercian Order, his days were rooted in prayer, study, and humble manual labor. Meals in the abbey were modest, focusing on what could be cultivated in the monastery’s own gardens or sourced from nearby fields.
Celebrating St. Bernard’s feast day can be an opportunity to embrace simplicity in our own kitchens – using seasonal ingredients, rustic preparation, and recipes that nourish both body and soul.
A Personal Note from My Kitchen
When I think of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, I picture the quiet rhythm of monastic life: simple meals, fresh bread cooling on a wooden table, and the hum of prayer woven into every task. I would be lying that at one time (long, long ago), I had visions of joining a cloistered convent. The simple routines were so attractive during a time in my life that was so chaotic. Alas, God had other plans for me!
But, whenever I stir a pot of stew or make a meal out of the ingredients I pulled from the garden, I think about how food can be both humble and beautiful. St. Bernard’s Cistercian life reminds me that the worth of a meal isn’t in how elaborate it is, but in the care and intention we bring to it.
A Taste of Monastic Life: Barley and Lentil Stew
Barley and lentils were staples in medieval monasteries. They were filling, affordable, and nourishing. A dish like this would have sustained Cistercian monks during long days of labor and prayer.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup barley
- 1 cup lentils (brown or green)
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened.
- Stir in barley, lentils, thyme, and broth.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45–50 minutes until barley and lentils are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rustic bread.
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10 Additional Feast Day Recipes for St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Here’s a list of recipes that fit the humble, hearty, and seasonal spirit of St. Bernard’s time:
Rustic Monastic Bread
When you Google search “monastary bread,” this recipe from Jon Rosser & BreadClub20 comes up. After reviewing the recipe against the history of the time, I concluded that it is pretty accurate. The main ingredients include honey, which was a major source of income for monks as beekeeping was a common industry in monasteries. It also includes a mix of oats and whole wheat flour, two ingredients reflective of the crops of the time. There is no hard and fast timing with this recipe – you simply pay attention to the yeast and the rise of the dough. What monk-ish life would be without this level of patience?
Medieval Vegetable Pottage
Pottage in the medieval era was everyone’s mainstay meal. Over the course of a few days, vegetables would be added to a simmering pot in which bowls of thick sustenance would be served. The flavors would change with the seasons, depending on what happened to be foraged or harvested from the surrounding area. Gustavo’s Medieval Green Pottage from Our Plant Based World features split peas, sweet potato, carrots, and the usual onions and celery. The split peas soften and thicken into a creamy stew, making it a filling and nourishing dish best enjoyed with a crusty piece of bread.
Stewed Pears & Apples with Honey & Cinnamon
What we may think of dessert today may have simply been a meal for common people in the medieval era. Where there were bees, there was honey, and where there was honey, there was a way to sweeten fruit. Caro’s Easy Stewed Apples and Pears with Honey from her blog, Caroha, is as simple as it is flavorful. Cinnamon and vanilla create a wonderful, tasty aroma. Once syrupy and soft, the apples and pears can be enjoyed on their own, stirred in a bit of oatmeal, or toppled on top of a scoop of ice cream.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Root vegetables are God’s way to providing an all-in-one meal. Not only can the roots be eaten (raw or cooked), so can the green tops. They can remain in the earth for a long while or until it’s time to eat them, and a few thrive even in the coldest of winters. A root vegetable plot may have certainly been part of any village or monastery’s kitchen garden. Jeanine and Jack’s easy Roasted Root Vegetables from Love and Lemons features beets, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and turnips. Tossed in easy-to-grow herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage, this dish can easily make itself.
Spinach and Chickpea Salad
Leafy greens provide an abundance of nutrition, and legumes were a common crop for a time when meat was rarely eaten. Lauren’s 2-Minute Lemon, Spinach, & Chickpea Salad from Flora and Vino is a quintessential representation of what it is to eat mindfully. This is a no-cook side dish that celebrates the simplicity of each ingredient and allows each one to shine. Serve this next to soup, bread, or a more robust dish of grilled or roasted meat.
Barley Salad with Fresh Herbs
The New York Times presents a light, wholesome, and perfect way to enjoy barley without simmering it in a stew. Barley, like other ancient grains, is not as common today considering the popularity of dried pasta and rice. This Barley and Herb Salad with Roasted Asparagus creates plump and velvety soft barley morsels that pair well with the earthy flavors of herbs and sweet asparagus. There’s nothing stopping you from replacing spring-time asparagus with other seasonal vegetables – think zucchini and squash for summer, roasted carrots for fall, or kale and broccoli for winter.
Simple Cheese Tartlets
Cheesemaking was another domestic industry found in both homes and monasteries. For an exceptionally long period of time, monastery lands in Europe were the primary exporter of wool. Naturally, all those sheep would make a lot of cheese. Callan’s Cheese Tartlets from The Cozy Plum is an easy way to enjoy your favorite cheese. This preparation includes a mix of aged sharp cheddar and gruyere, processed with a bit of white wine, whipping cream, and thyme. Sounds elegant, and it is, but also easy to make. Grab yourself a few puff pastry sheets and make these tartlets!
Honey Glazed Carrots
Like the roasted vegetables above, carrots are one of the most versatile ingredients you can have in the kitchen. Before confectionary sugar became popular, carrots provided much of the sweetness people craved. Carrie’s Simple Honey Roasted Carrots brings out this sweetness with the help of a little honey and a longer-than-usual roasting time. Hint: don’t chop the carrots too small! They will hold up better in the oven if chopped no less than 1 – 1.5 inches.
Cabbage and White Bean Stew
Cabbage is another vegetable most likely found in cottage gardens for both cooking and medicinal purposes. Alissa’s Cabbage Bean Soup from the Connoisseurus Veg can be enjoyed any season and is as rustic as cottage cooking can be. The cannellini beans provide a smooth texture while the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes give a fresh and bright flavor. This soup is a strong contender for when you are feeling under the weather. It is vitamin-packed and easy to digest.
Poached Pears in Spiced Syrup
Pears were meant to be poached, and this elegant and simple recipe shows just how succulent this fruit can be. Claire’s Spiced Poached Pears from Through the FIbro Fog walks you through three simple steps to create this warm concoction above. You will need a few spices: ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, and star anise. Each one is well worth the effort to include, as the combination fills the air with all things autumn.
Prayer Before the Meal for the Feast of St. Bernard
Heavenly Father,
On this feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, we thank You for the gift of nourishing food,
the hands that prepared it,
and the fellowship we share.
Teach us, as You taught St. Bernard,
to find joy in simplicity,
to seek You in all things,
and to serve one another with love.
Bless this meal, O Lord, and may it strengthen us to live humbly and generously today and always.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
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How will you celebrate St. Bernard’s feast day at your table?
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