An easy, creamy wild garlic soup recipe that tastes like spring. Feel free to use your favorite wild allium greens. It can be served in mugs or bowls with additional ingredients. Serves 4
2ozshallot(1 large) you can also use ramp bulbs or garlic cloves.
3tablespoonsunsalted butter
3tablespoonslong grain rice
Kosher salt and ground white pepper
3cupschicken brothor vegetable stock
¼cupheavy cream
¼cupdry white wine
3ozfresh wild garlic leaves such as ramps or bear garlic (roughly 2.5 cups chopped leaves, loosely packed)
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oiloptional
Instructions
Rice
Rinse the rice in water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch, then reserve.
Wild garlic leaves
Wash and clean the leaves, then dry and reserve.
Build the soup
Dice the shallot and celery ¼ inch. In a 2 quart saucepot or soup pot, sweat the shallot and celery in the butter on medium heat for 5 minutes or until just tender.
Add the rice and cook for a few minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and cook down until the pan is dry.
Add the chicken stock, bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook on the lowest heat until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the ramp, ramson leaves or other alliums to the pan and stir to wilt.
Puree the soup
Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the cream. Put on the lid, and, being careful and making sure there is a way for air to escape the blender, puree the soup on low speed, moving up to high.
Drizzle in the oil while pureeing the soup at the end. Pour the soup into a metal bowl. Season to taste for salt and pepper and adjust until it tastes good to you.
Chill the soup
Transfer the bowl to a sink ¼ full of cold water and whisk to chill the soup if not serving immediately. It will keep for 5 days in the fridge.
Serving
To serve the soup, reheat it gently until just hot throughout, pour into mugs or bowls and serve. The soup can be sipped from cups, or combined with other ingredients to make a more filling meal.
Video
Notes
Serving suggestions
It's great sipped from a mug. For a more filling soup you can add small gnocchi or tiny soup pasta, wild rice, sauteed mushrooms, fiddleheads, or extra cooked wild garlic greens.
Taming Garlic Breath
As written, the recipe will give you a pure wild garlic taste with a gentle allium heat. If you're sensitive to onions, blanch the greens for 30 seconds in water for a sweeter taste.
Variations
I love seeing what people have been doing with this. You can mix and match your favorite plants and allium greens. One reader recommends equal parts nettles, ramps, and watercress.