Lucy Hoyle Cooks…Wild Garlic and Spinach Soup
When I told my daughter (aged 7…) what recipe I was doing this week for Rebecca, she looked at me with such disdain I thought I had some of the soup attractively dripping from my mouth-but no. Apparently soup is reeeaaalllyy boring Mummy, why aren’t I doing a more exciting recipe like normal!? Well, I started, this has seasonal ingredients in…and she was gone. I had bored her with my soup and bored her with my (I thought) very valid argument. So I shall try it on you and hope to have more success. Not only is wild garlic currently rife throughout woodlands and possibly in peoples herb pots, but the weather hasn’t quite got too warm for soup yet and if people are enjoying some outside time with friends and family what better way to keep warm than with a seasonal delicious soup! PS My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the soup and has asked to have it tomorrow too….
Wild garlic is extremely versatile, you can make a garlic butter with it, a pesto putting it with basil or parsley along with pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan cheese in a food processor or just add to salads. Have fun with it!
Much love,
Lucy xx
- Rapeseed or olive oil
- 40g butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, sliced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 300g fresh spinach
- 150-200g wild garlic
- 1-1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp double cream
- Salt and pepper
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy saucepan and add onion, celery, leeks, carrots and potato. Stir so the vegetables are coated in the butter and oil, and put the lid on, sweat gently for approx 10 mins until the potato and carrot are tender.
Add the stock, and simmer for approx 12 mins. Stir through the spinach until just wilted and then add the wild garlic roughly chopped.
Let this cook for a few minutes, then take it off the heat and cool slightly.
Blitz the soup in a blender until smooth-ish!. I like my soups to still have some texture so I don’t blend until totally smooth.
Pop the soup back in the pan and heat through, but don’t boil. Stir through the double cream, and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve in warm bowls, with an extra drizzle of cream for added richness.
This soup is very happy to be frozen, but it will lose it’s lovely green colour slightly but that won’t change the taste!
Head over to @lucyhoylecooks for more wonderful and simple recipes x