Wild garlic soup by Milk in Edinburgh

RIVERBANKS are heady with the aroma of wild garlic at this time 
of year. It’s one of the most easily identifiable ingredients to forage due to its pungent smell but it should also be available to buy at most farmers’ markets if you are worried about identification or your foraging range is limited.

We make lots of dishes with wild garlic including folding it into quiches and making pestos but our favourite is soup.

There are several variations you can make. It works really well whizzed up in a blender but we really like this hearty version, it is warming and filling, just what you need after a brisk walk along the riverside in the cool (almost spring) air. 

www.cafemilk.co.uk.

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground coriander
1½ litre vegetable stock
100ml white wine (optional)
100g brown basmati and wild rice mixture
200g cooked chickpeas
150g wild garlic leaves, washed and roughly chopped
Juice and zest of half a lemon
Handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

METHOD
1 Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, garlic and cumin seeds. Cook gently until softened.  
2 Add in the wine (if using) and reduce down until almost all of the liquid is gone. 
3 Add in the rice and stir into the softened onions and garlic for a few minutes.
4 Add the stock to the saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer 
for around 20 minutes on a gentle heat until the rice is al dente.
5 Add in the chickpeas, wild garlic and flat leaf parsley and heat through.  Add in lemon juice and zest. 
6 Season with salt and pepper to taste and this lovely soup is ready
to serve.

In association with Taste Communications.

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