Dandelion Spring Soup
From the kitchen of a friend
The flavor of dandelion leaves is mild until the plant begins to flower. Like spinach, it is a good source of calcium and iron.
Collect your leaves with roots attached and refrigerate to keep fresh. Preparing your dandelions: Clean them by removing the leaves from the root and soaking the leaves in cold water. Agitate the water to loosen dirt, then drain the leaves in a colander. Repeat if necessary, especially if the dandelions were harvested after a recent rainfall. Spin-dry the leaves.
Dandelion Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced pancetta or raw bacon (optional, for garnish)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium Spanish onions, peeled, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium leek, cleaned, green part trimmed and white part diced
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 quarts vegetable stock
3/4 pound spinach leaves, cleaned well
1/2 pound fresh young dandelion greens, cleaned, excess stem removed and cut into 1/8-inch-wide pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-fat sour cream
Perfect dandelion leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup red radishes, stem trimmed, diced, for garnish
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives, for garnish
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until it's golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Remove it to paper toweling and reserve it for garnish.
Add the garlic to the pot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and the leek, cooking until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the potatoes.
Cover with cold vegetable stock, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, and add the spinach and 3/4 of the dandelion greens.
Transfer to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into another large pot, and keep it warm over medium heat.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and a generous dose of black pepper.
Place the sour cream into a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the hot soup to the sour cream while whisking until smooth. Whisk in another cup of the hot soup. Pour the sour cream-soup mix into the soup and stir until smooth. Do not allow the soup to boil.
Add the remaining dandelion pieces. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper as necessary.
To serve: Arrange the dandelion leaves, diced radish, pancetta, chives and a pinch of black pepper in the center of warm bowls. Serve the hot soup in a tureen. Ladle the soup into each bowl after presenting. Makes 3 quarts of soup. Serves 12.
The flavor of dandelion leaves is mild until the plant begins to flower. Like spinach, it is a good source of calcium and iron.
Collect your leaves with roots attached and refrigerate to keep fresh. Preparing your dandelions: Clean them by removing the leaves from the root and soaking the leaves in cold water. Agitate the water to loosen dirt, then drain the leaves in a colander. Repeat if necessary, especially if the dandelions were harvested after a recent rainfall. Spin-dry the leaves.
Dandelion Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced pancetta or raw bacon (optional, for garnish)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium Spanish onions, peeled, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium leek, cleaned, green part trimmed and white part diced
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 quarts vegetable stock
3/4 pound spinach leaves, cleaned well
1/2 pound fresh young dandelion greens, cleaned, excess stem removed and cut into 1/8-inch-wide pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-fat sour cream
Perfect dandelion leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup red radishes, stem trimmed, diced, for garnish
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives, for garnish
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until it's golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Remove it to paper toweling and reserve it for garnish.
Add the garlic to the pot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and the leek, cooking until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the potatoes.
Cover with cold vegetable stock, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, and add the spinach and 3/4 of the dandelion greens.
Transfer to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into another large pot, and keep it warm over medium heat.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and a generous dose of black pepper.
Place the sour cream into a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the hot soup to the sour cream while whisking until smooth. Whisk in another cup of the hot soup. Pour the sour cream-soup mix into the soup and stir until smooth. Do not allow the soup to boil.
Add the remaining dandelion pieces. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper as necessary.
To serve: Arrange the dandelion leaves, diced radish, pancetta, chives and a pinch of black pepper in the center of warm bowls. Serve the hot soup in a tureen. Ladle the soup into each bowl after presenting. Makes 3 quarts of soup. Serves 12.
