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Wild Garlic and Egg Soup
Instructions
Cut the potatoes into medium pieces.
Add the potatoes and rice to boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Once it comes to a boil, skim off the foam.
Cut the carrot into half-moons and the onion into cubes.
Sauté the vegetables (onion and carrot) in 3 tablespoons of oil. Don't reduce the amount of oil – it's the only fat in the soup.
Rinse the wild garlic, pat it dry and chop it finely – this is exactly how its aroma is brought out to the full.
Peel the boiled eggs and chop them or cut them into cubes.
Finely chop the green onions.
Add the sautéed carrot and onion to the soup, along with salt, bay leaf and pepper. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
Add the eggs and wild garlic to the soup, bring to a boil and cook for just 1 minute – no longer, or the wild garlic will lose its aroma and colour.
Add the green onions and take the pot off the heat.It is best to let the wild garlic and egg soup stand under a lid for about 7 minutes. Enjoy your meal!
Tips
- 1
BOIL THE WILD GARLIC FOR NO MORE THAN 1 MINUTE – any longer and it will lose its forest aroma, its vitamins and its bright green colour.
- 2
BOIL THE EGGS IN ADVANCE and cool them – hot eggs will "cook" a second time in the soup and turn "rubbery". Cold ones stay tender.
- 3
DON'T REDUCE THE OIL – it is the only fat in this meat-free soup; it gives a feeling of fullness and helps the vitamin A from the carrots to be absorbed.
- 4
LET IT REST FOR 7 MINUTES under a lid – the aroma of the wild garlic spreads through the whole soup and the flavours come together. The same principle works in other soups with egg.
FAQ
Which wild garlic should you choose? +
Fresh wild garlic has bright green leaves with a characteristic garlic aroma. It is gathered from April to May in deciduous forests. In the shop, look for "bear's leek" or "Allium ursinum" – another name for wild garlic. Avoid limp yellow leaves and lily-of-the-valley leaves – they are poisonous and look very much like wild garlic, so tell them apart by smell (wild garlic smells of garlic, lily-of-the-valley does not). Frozen wild garlic is convenient for winter; add it without thawing. Salted or fermented wild garlic is a separate preserve with a different taste. Dried wild garlic can be used, but its aroma is weaker than fresh.
What can replace wild garlic? +
If it is out of season, the alternatives are: green onion plus a little garlic (2-3 cloves, chopped), young garlic shoots, chives plus garlic, sorrel (a more sour soup), or spinach plus garlic (a green, meat-free option). But the real taste of "wild garlic soup" comes from the wild garlic itself – that is what sets the dish apart from an ordinary vegetable soup. For out-of-season cooking, use frozen or dried wild garlic. A popular trick is to buy wild garlic in season (April–May), chop it finely and freeze it in portions in ice cubes – enough to last the whole year.
How long does the soup keep? +
In the fridge, in a covered pot, 2 days. The next day the flavour is brighter, but the wild garlic will have "given up" some of its aroma, so it is not as vividly fresh. I don't recommend keeping it longer than 48 hours – the eggs and greens "age" quickly in the soup. Reheat it over low heat, without bringing it to a rolling boil. I don't advise freezing it – the wild garlic and eggs lose their texture after thawing. If you need to make some "in reserve", freeze the base (the broth with potatoes and rice) and add fresh wild garlic and eggs when reheating.
What to serve the soup with? +
A classic of the Lenten table: with black or grey bread, or with garlic toasts (garlic croutons). With a spoonful of Lenten mayonnaise or soya yoghurt (for "creaminess" without breaking the fast). With green onion or fresh parsley – an extra vitamin garnish. As a stand-alone dish for lunch. For a "heartier" version, serve it with boiled beans as a source of protein. With kvass or dried-fruit compote. During Lent, on a diet, or on a healthy-eating menu, it is an ideal light lunch. For a "non-Lenten" version, add a spoonful of sour cream to the soup.
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