Ramps Wild Leeks Soup Recipes

POTATO AND WILD LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Scrub and dice potatoes, skin and all.
• Melt butter in a 5 quart pot, add diced potatoes and salt and saute till lightly golden.
• Add water and bouillon cubes, simmer.
• Wash and trim the leeks.
• Using kitchen shears snip half of of the leeks into small pieces and add to the pot.
• Simmer till potatoes are tender.
• Blend half the soup with a stick blender or in a regular blender till creamy and thick. Add back into the pot.
• Add milk slowly. Heat till once again hot but not boiling.
• Snip the remaing leeks into the pot, do not boil, just keep warm.

POTATO, BACON, HAM, & RAMP (WILD LEEK) SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Sautee the bacon with the onion until the onion is translucent or almost tender. Add the water, bouillon, potatoes, ham, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
• 2. Add the chopped ramps to to the simmering pot. Thoroughly combine the milk with the flour and add that to the pot too. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with a small pat of butter placed on the surface of each bowl of soup.
• 3. Note: Regular cultivated leeks, found in most grocery stores, make an excellent substitute for wild leeks in this recipe but trim off and discard the tough part of the green tops if using them.

RAMP SOUP

Steps:

• Trim roots from ramps and slip off outer skin on bupounds if loose. Cut green tops from ramps and coarsely chop enough greens to measure 3 cups (reserve remainder for another use). Thinly slice ramp bulbs, including pink stems.
• Cook ramp bulbs, onion, white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine, then boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until evaporated completely. Add broth and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until onions and ramps are very soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in ramp greens and boil 1 minute.
• Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids), then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return soup to cleaned pot and bring just to a boil. Whisk in cheese and butter until smooth. Season with salt.

RAMPS (WILD LEEKS) SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and dice potatoes and onions; place in large saucepan and add water, diced ham, salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are just done.
• Add ramps; cook five minutes more.
• Mix the flour into the milk; stir briskly to make a smooth emulsion.
• Add to soup; bring just to boiling point.
• Serve hot with a small pat of butter in each bowl to garnish.

CREAM OF RAMPS (WILD LEEKS) SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in large saucepan over medium low heat.
• Saute ramps bulbs and chopped leaves.
• When tender, stir in flour, mixing well. Slowly whisk in broth; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Beat egg yolks and 2/3 cup cream together until blended; blend mixture into soup a little at a time.
• When completely blended into soup, raise heat and bring to a near boil.
• Stir until thickened.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Whip remaining 1/3 cup cream; top each serving with a generous spoonful then garnish with minced wild leek leaves.