Three Cornered Leek & Potato Soup

It is currently spring in New Zealand which brings cold frosts and grey days along with exciting signs of new life such as blooming daffodils and little lambs dotted over the hillsides. For me, nothing shows the advent of Spring quite like the appearance of three cornered leeks with their white bell flowers blooming in gardens, at parks, and along riversides, releasing their pungent oniony aroma as you walk along the riverbanks. This beautiful “weed” is wonderful at replacing any allium (onions, spring onions, leeks, garlic) in your favourite recipes. Not only is it delicious but it is free, organic, and accessible in large quantities wherever you are in springtime!

It was an overcast and drizzly day when I ventured out into the garden to harvest three large clusters of three cornered leeks (so named for the three corners of it’s stem). I dug into the soft, damp soil unearthing the shiny white bulbs and short scraggly roots, pulling up the whole plant to use for my lunch; bulbs, stems, leaves, and flowers. I carried the bundles inside and washed the soil from them, listening to the rain pattering on the windows and the fire crackling in the hearth. Today is the perfect day for a hearty spring soup using these aromatic gifts that the Earth has blessed us with at a time when fresh produce can be scarce in our gardens, markets, and supermarkets.

I hope you try this recipe and are able to share a big bowl of soup with your friends and loved ones. I would recommend making a crusty sourdough loaf for dunking and cracking open a bottle of cider to accompany it (conveniently any homemade berry, apple, or pear ciders should be ready for tasting now!).

Enjoy my fellow Foragers!

Three Cornered Leek & Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 bulbs of roasted garlic

2 tablespoons homemade vegan butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 bundles onion weed (3 leeks worth, 7-8 cups), chopped (include bulbs, stems, leaves, and flowers)

1 large onion, diced

6 medium white potatoes (unpeeled), washed and cubed

2 bay leaves

6 cups homemade vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup homemade vegan oat or soy milk

Sunflower seed cream (optional), to garnish

Three cornered leek flowers (optional), for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees fanbake. Cut the head off both garlic bulbs and place them upright on small squares of tinfoil. Drizzle with olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic up in the tinfoil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile wash your three cornered leeks thoroughly and roughly chop along with the onion. Place a large soup pot on the stove and heat on medium. Add your olive oil and butter until melted. Sauté the onion and three cornered leeks for around 10 minutes, until softened.
3. Scrub your potatoes under warm water and dice into small cubes. Add them to the pot along with the bay leaves. Pour in a rich vegetable stock. Sprinkle in the ground coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper (optional, but will make you feel toasty warm on a cold spring day). Squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
4. Blend the soup until thick and smooth (the three cornered leeks retain a wonderful green whilst they’re cooking). Stir in your cup of plant milk and heat through.
5. Ladle into large bowls and top with a drizzle of sunflower seed cream and a few three cornered leek flowers. Serve with large hunks of bread and homemade butter and a glass of cider. Perfect for a comforting Spring lunch when you’ve been out in the garden preparing for planting!

Follow me on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/woodlandfolkforaging

Instagram: @woodland_folk_foraging

Pinterest: www.pinterest.nz/woodlandfolkforaging