Denise says:

  • I have an amazing crop of wild garlic in my garden which spreads every year which is why I wanted to write this recipe.  Wild garlic is abundant in more places than you than you realise although I have never seen it at the supermarket.  It sprouts up about February time and grows until about April.  The new shoots are sweet and delicate this provides a delicious subtle flavour unlike using a fresh garlic bulb.
  • You can find wild garlic in woodland areas; it looks like small spinach leaves.
  • Wild garlic is the gift that keeps on giving; as well eating the leaves, you can also eat the flower buds, flowers, seed heads and even the bulbs (though pulling up the bulbs means it won't grow back the following year, so isn't advised).
  • If you cant find wild garlic, substitute with spinach leaves plus 2 garlic cloves

Ingredients:

  • 150g wild garlic or substitute spinach plus 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 onions -peeled and roughly chopped
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 2 turnips - peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoon vegetable stock powder or 1 cube with 200ml water
  • Wild Garlic Pesto
  • 75g wild garlic leaves
  • 25g Parmesan / Cheddar cheese
  • 1 clove garlic – finely chopped
  • Zest of ½ lemon plus 2 teaspoons juice
  • 25g pine nuts – toasted
  • 30ml vegetable oil
  • 40ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea and pepper - to taste

Method

  1. Wash the wild garlic very well and then roughly chop.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat up the oil and then fry the onion.
  3. When the onion is browned, add the peas, turnip and coconut milk.
  4. Fill up the tin halfway with water (200ml) and then add to the saucepan as well.
  5. Stir in the stock powder and bring the soup to the boil for about 5 minutes.
  6. Finally add in the wild garlic and let it wilt down
  7. Puree the soup with a hand blender and salt and pepper to taste.
  8. For the pesto, add all the ingredients except the oil to the food processor and plus until smooth. Gradually add the oil until you have an emulsion. Season and adjust accordingly.
  9. Serve the soup with a spoonful of the reserved coconut cream, a sprinkle of wild garlic flowers,
Tagged in: Coconut Milk, Family Cooking, onion, Peas, soup, soup, Starter, Starter, turnip, Vegetarian, wild garlic