Kohlrabi and wild garlic soup

For health conscious Fabi

After the extended winter this year the choice of the fresh vegetables at the farmers´ market is starting to multiply week by week and the opportunities to shake up another snazzy soup are equally expanding.



Aromatic Wild Garlic

The season for wild garlic in the nothern hemisphere is mainly in April and May. It finds its rightful place in a wild garlic risotto, can be folded into bread dough, mixed into a pesto or used raw to burst its garlicky taste. It has a smoother garlic taste than the conventional garlic cloves.

I thank my colleague Eli and her generous Mom and her garden where the wild garlic grows like weed.

I picked up one of the kohlrabis from the pile of these freshly harvested vegetables and assessed the baby smooth skin and the juicy crunch inside. The good ones have a kind of sweaky sound. Perfect! Can´t wait to be in the kitchen and 30 minutes later here comes lunch... Can´t be any fresher.

Fresh Kohlrabi (Swiss Rübkohl, Estonian Nuikapsas)

Kohlrabi and wild garlic soup

Ingredients for 2:
1 tbsp vegetable oil (eg. rape seed)
1-2 onion, chopped
1 Kohlrabi, cut into cubes
0.5 dl white wine or white sherry (optional)
0.7 l vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp fresh cream
salt
pepper
6-8 leaves of wild garlic, cut into fine stripes

Main ingredients for the kohlrabi & wild garlic soup

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onions until for about 5 minutes until translucent.
Add the kohlrabi and cook for a few more minutes. Add the wine and let it sizzle away, then add the stock. Cook until kohlrabi is soft, about 10 minutes.

Take the soup off the heat and pureé until smooth. Mix in the cream and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with freshly cut wild garlic leaves.



Kohlrabi and wild garlic soup

Home Made Wild Garlic Bread

Wild garlic loaf (German Bärlauch Brot)

I suppose wild garlic is a little bit of Love or Hate thing. Less so if eaten raw, as in a raw state it resembles conventional garlic quite a lot. It reveals its special taste and aroma in some cooked dishes. Bread is one of such ways that when detected can be a real pleasure for the gourmet palate or may put off an eater not familiar with this herb.

In any case, for any curious mind, to find out if you have a love or hate relationship with wild garlic bread I invite you to try it out in your own kitchen.

Wild garlic at the market in April

Wild Garlic Bread
Ingredients for a small loaf
ca 15 g of fresh yeast
2.5 cups of dark wheat flour (I used the Swiss Ruchmehl)
0.5 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil + a bit more for kneading
a small bunch (6-8 leaves) of wild garlic, finely chopped
1-1.5 dl water

Dissolve the yeast in a bowl in 0.5 dl water. Add the flour, oil, salt and the wild garlic. Add the water and mix the components together by hand. If the dough does not stick together add a little bit more water but not too much.

Put about 1 tbsp olive oil on the working surface where you knead the dough. Take the dough out of the bowl and start kneading it, stretching and folding it together for about 10 minutes until gluten builds and the dough becoms elastic and does not stick to the hands any more.

Drizzle some olive oil (again no more than 1 tablespoon) on the bottom and sides of the bowl and place the dough ball back into the bowl. Cover tightly with cling film and cover with kitchen towles. Leave to raise (prove) in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled its size.

Preheat the oven to 220 Celsius.

When the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl onto the working surface and stretch and press out the air. Then fold the dough into a loaf and place it into the baking form fitted with the baking paper. If you wish, make a cut lengthwise.

Place a tray with water into the oven to create steam to support the making of the crust. Now the loaf goes into the hot oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn down the heat to 200C and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

Knock on the crust, but take care not to burn yourself. Hearing a hollow sound is a good sign. Place the loaf on a cooling rack and get the fresh bread afficionados ready around the table to taste your work. Serve with butter.

Serve the fresh wild garlic bread with butter

More recipes with wild garlic:
Red snapper on wild garlic risotto