Wild garlic soup with toasted almonds and sheep's cheese

Ingredients

For the soup

• 50g butter
• 300g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 100g onions, roughly chopped
• 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 200g wild garlic leaves, thoroughly washed and chopped
• 100ml double cream
• Sea salt and freshly ground black
• Pepper

For the topping

• 50g blanched almonds, toasted and chopped
• 80g sheep’s cheese, such as feta, crumbled
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil
• Wild garlic flowers, thoroughly washed, to garnish

Method

This wild garlic soup is so deliciously pungent, just one spoonful transports me back to the forest floor of wild garlic where I picked it. I have added a topping of toasted almonds and sheep’s cheese for texture and a contrast of flavour. You could use hazelnuts, Brazil nuts or pine nuts instead of the almonds, and during other seasons, you can replace the wild garlic with spinach, watercress or wild nettle tops.

Place a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the potatoes and onions, stir well and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and leave the vegetables to sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the hot stock and wild garlic leaves and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Transfer the soup to a blender or food-processor, or use a hand blender, and blend to a smooth consistency.

Return the soup to the saucepan (if necessary) and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and place over a medium heat for just 2 minutes to warm through.

Meanwhile, for the topping, mix the almonds, sheep’s cheese and extra virgin olive oil together in a small bowl.

Pour the soup into warmed bowls, spoon the almond and sheep’s cheese mixture on top of each serving and sprinkle with wild garlic flowers to garnish.

Taken from Clodagh’s Suppers by Clodagh McKenna, published by Kyle Books. Photography by Dora Kazmierak

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