Courgette & Wild Garlic Soup
Wild Garlic grows abundantly in woods and along rivers right across the UK
For us, the pungent arrival of wild garlic is one of the true heralds of spring. Easy to identify thanks to the strong garlic aroma and distinctive white clusters of flowers, and often appearing in huge, easy to harvest monocultures alongside riverbanks across Scotland, it is a wonderful ingredient to forage and use in the kitchen. Raw, it is assertively garlick-y and can leave you “reekin” as some of our staff would say. However once cooked, the flavour mellows substantially and is more comparable to chives with a note of garlic, which we love.
All parts of the plant (bulb, stem, leaf, flower and seed) are edible, and it’s hard to misidentify - you’ll normally smell it before you see it! - but still take care whenever you are foraging, as there may be unwanted plants growing in close proximity to it. And remember - it is illegal to uproot a wild plant without the permission of the landowner, so just harvest the leaves and flowers. For a guide on how to identify and forage for Wild Garlic, click here.
At the farm shop, we’ve been experimenting with Venison & Wild Garlic Curry, Wild Garlic Butter, Mayonnaise and Pestos, as well as Wild Garlic Sausage Rolls - but one of our favourite dishes has been this Courgette and Wild Garlic soup. It’s quite quick to make, and makes a beautiful smooth and creamy green soup, with lovely added texture from the diced courgette. Get out foraging - the season for Wild Garlic runs till at least mid-May - and give it a go!
Serve with your favourite loaf - perhaps our Malthouse Bread?
Courgette and Wild Garlic Soup Recipe
If you can’t find Wild Garlic, this recipe would be equally delicious with spinach instead.
We suggest using Cullisse Rapeseed Oil, which is grown in Scotland, and Vegan Bouillon by Marigold, both of which can be found in the farm shop.
This recipe is Vegan and Gluten Free, though it would be nicely finished with a swirl of cream.
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
4 small White Onions
2 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
4 Courgettes
750ml Vegetable Stock
1 large bunch of Wild Garlic leaves (approx 400g), washed very well
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (with more to garnish)
White Wine Vinegar, to taste
Salt and Pepper
Chives (optional, to garnish)
Double Cream (optional, to garnish)
Method
Peel and finely slice the white onions and garlic.
In a large soup pot, heat the rapeseed oil over medium heat and saute the onions and garlic until translucent.
Whilst the onions are sauteing, halve lengthwise and then finely slice 3 of the courgettes into half moons. Add to the pot once the onions are translucent and soft.
Add enough vegetable stock just to cover the courgettes and onions, and bring to a boil on a high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the courgettes are just tender.
Meanwhile, dice the remaining courgette into 1cm (¼”) cubes. Set these aside.
In a food processor, finely blend the wild garlic leaves. You may need to add some water to help the processor make a smooth puree. Transfer the puree to a bowl and set aside.
Check to see if your courgettes are cooked through - we want them just soft enough to blend. Using a stick blender, blend the soup to a smooth consistency, drizzling in the extra virgin olive oil as you blend.
Once you’re happy with the smoothness of the soup, add the wild garlic puree and stir well to combine. Thin the soup to your preferred consistency - we like to aim for the thickness of double cream - by adding in more vegetable stock.
Finally, add the reserved diced courgette to the pot and return to the heat. Bring to a simmer and season well with salt, pepper and a splash of white wine vinegar. The diced courgettes will gently cook in the soup and still have a nice bite to them when you serve it.
Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (or double cream), and finely chopped chives, if you desire.
