A seasonal treat that’s quick to prepare and easy on the budget!
We live in a place where wild garlic dominates the hillsides in late winter and early spring. I love the smell of it—delicate at first, and stronger as the flowers begin to emerge, until it can become quite overpowering later in the season. Mid-season is a good time to forage for wild garlic leaves: there’s plenty about, yet they haven’t yet begun to go leathery, and there’s few flower stalks in the way.
Quantities given are per person for a main dish; it will serve more as starters.
Ingredients:
| A double handful | Wild garlic (ransom) leaves |
| 1 small | Leek |
| 1 tablespoon | Vegetable oil |
| 1 medium or 2 small | Potatoes |
| 1 cup (1/2 pint) | Vegetable stock |
| Bunch | Fresh parsley (optional) |
| 1 tablespoon | Plain yogurt (optional) |
| Dash | Nutmeg |
Directions:
- Rinse and pick over ransom leaves. Discard any that are damaged, or old and leathery. Chop roughly.
Rinsed ransom leaves
A few leaves chopped up - Clean and chop leek(s).
- Heat oil in a saucepan; add chopped leaves and stir around. Cover and leave to sweat over low heat while you prepare the potatoes.
- Wash potatoes and slice thinly. Cut large slices in half crosswise.
- Stir potatoes in to leaves. Add stock–it should cover all the veg.
Veg mixed together
Just enough stock - Increase heat to bring to a boil.
- While the stock is heating up, chop a handful of parsley if you’re using it. Add to the pan, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked fully.
- Whizz the soup to a thick velvety texture, with or without any remaining chunks of veg.
- Return to heat for 5 minutes or more, to bring it back up to serving temperature.
- Serve in warmed bowls. Garnish with yogurt, nutmeg and parsley sprigs.
Vegan version with no yogurt
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I'm an American living in the UK, combining rural Mid-west ideas about food with a suburban coastal British reality. It's fun!
What do you think?