grape seed oil

Alice Waters Taught Me All I Need To Know About Green Garlic Soup (with Sorrel)

21 Apr 2010
green garlic soup with sorrel

I want to discuss green garlic again.

In one of the greatest cookbooks ever published, Chez Panisse Cooking, Alice Waters and Paul Bertolli write: "Garlic is commonly used as a mature plant when the bulb containing many cloves has formed. Green garlic is the same plant pulled from the ground at a much earlier stage, before the bulb forms and when the plant resembles a leek, with a stalk about 1/2 inch in diameter.”

That quote was probably my first introduction to green garlic. Though it may have been years later that I actually got my hands on any. Because even in Los Angeles, where we have year round access to the greatest produce in the world green garlic is only just now becoming fairly common at the springtime Farmers Market. To make this point I’ll quote Alice Waters once again: “Until recently, green garlic never appeared in the market and was largely unrecognized by cooks. The quality of green garlic is unique and of great use in the kitchen”.

So you see green garlic is not exactly a new ingredient to me, but it’s not exactly a staple in my life either. It took me a while but reading her words has made me a little bit obsessed with green garlic at the moment. So I am bringing it back for another look. This time in a soup. I have much to learn and Alice Waters may be the perfect teacher.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Green Garlic Soup with Sorrel

Green Garlic Soup with Sorrel
By jgreghenry Published April 18, 2010
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 2 T grape seed oil
  • 24 stalks of green garlic, bulb and very pale parts only, roughly chopped
  • 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
  • 0 kosher salt, as needed
  • 3 small young potatoes, such as yukon gold
  • 1 c water
  • 1 q chicken stock
  • 0 white pepper to taste
  • 6 large sorrel leaves
  • 2 T cream
  • 2 T italian parsley leaves, minced
  • 1 T butter

Directions

Heat a medium sized stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil, the green garlic and the shallots as well as a big pinch of salt. Cook stirring often until the vegetables have softened and a re very fragrant about 7 minutes. Add the chopped potatoes. If you are using a young thin skinned variety there is no need to peel (but you may if you prefer. Get the potatoes well coated with the oil and cook 2 or 3 minutes to combine the flavors. Add the water and continue to cook until the pan is nearly dry, stirring often. Add the chicken stock and bring the heat to low. Simmer about 1/2 hour until the vegetables are very soft. Stir the pot often and break up the vegetables as you work with the back of your wooden spoon. Remove the pot from the heat, add the minced parsley leaves and let the soup cool somewhat before continuing. Using an immersion blender, process the soup until a chunky puree is formed. If you prefer a more elegant presentation you may take this all the way to a smooth puree. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper. Using a paring knife slit the sorrel leaves on either side of the center stem to remove it. To serve place both halves of a sorrel leaf on the bottom of each of six soup bowls. Reheat the soup to nearly a boil and then stir in a touch of cream and butter. Ladle the hot soup over the sorrel leaves in each bowl. Wait about 1 minute for the sorrel leaves to "cook", then use a fork to bring them to the surface of the soup for presentation. Serve immediately.

Notes:

serves 6