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Prep time
15 minutes
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Cook time
25 minutes
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Serves
4-6
Author Notes
Vichyssoise? Yes. Loaded baked potato soup? Mmm hmm...
WILD RAMP SOUP? Oh, yes! The color of this Springtime soup is a bright green because of the ramp leaves that are incorporated. If you are lucky enough to find these garlicky delights, you are fortunate indeed. I think they are in season for all of about 10 minutes....
Hardly anyone even knows what they are where I live. They look like green onions with a purplish colored stem with 2 leaves that resemble long spinach leaves. This is a SPRING SOUP! Although, the day I made it- there was a freak snow storm and I ended up with about 5 inches of snow in my yard. My friend nicknamed it Leprechaun Soup. —Miss_Karen
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Ingredients
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6
slices of bacon
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2 cups
ramp bulbs. Separate off the leaves, roughly chop, set aside
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1
Vidalia or Maui Maui Onion, chopped
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3
medium sized Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
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4 cups
reduced sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
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1 cup
Half & Half or heavy cream
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1 pinch
white pepper
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1 cup
Dubliner white cheddar cheese, shredded
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salt to taste
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chives as garnish, optional
Directions
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Rinse the ramps in cold water. Remove the roots. Cut the ramp leaves off and set aside. Chop the ramp bulbs and the stems. Chop the onion.
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In a large skillet or Dutch oven, fry the bacon until crispy, remove from the pan, crumble and set aside. Pour off all but 2 TBSP. of the bacon grease. Add ramp bulbs, stems and onions.
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Sauté on medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender. Add the broth and the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
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While the potatoes are cooking; stack the ramp leaves together and roll the leaves up tightly (sleeping bag style.) Then slice (Chiffonade) or roughly chop.
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Put the Half & Half into a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Add the ramp leaves. Use an immersion blender to puree the leaves and cream. Blend until smooth.
* Don't use a food processor. It heats up the leaves and you will lose the pretty color.
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Stir the cream mixture into the soup. Add the cheese. Heat thoroughly without boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the reserved bacon, more cheese and chives- (optional)
Serve hot or cool to room temperature, cover, and chill thoroughly to serve cold as you would a vichyssoise.
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Serve with crusty artisan bread or the Ramp Chimichurri Challah bread (pictured.)
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