Garlic Scape Soup

Serves 4-6

This soup recipe, which I’ve adapted slightly from one included in Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking, makes good use of the garlic scapes that crowd farmers’ markets in early spring. If you like soup that has a  rustic texture, there is no need to strain it. But for a finer texture and a more elegant result, don’t skip this step.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 dozen garlic scapes, flower buds discarded and green shoots chopped
3 small russet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
6 cups vegetable stock
2 large handfuls spinach leaves, stemmed
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup buttermilk, optional

Recipe

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the scapes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to break down.

2. Remove the soup from the heat and add the spinach, stirring  until it wilts.

3. Puree the soup using an immersion blender. For a fine texture, strain it through a sieve lined with two layers of cheesecloth. Or puree the soup using the fine or medium holes of a food mill, which will strain the soup as well.

4. Season the soup with lemon juice, sea salt and pepper, and add the buttermilk for a silky texture.