Potato and Green Garlic Soup

Quite clearly a rip off of a Welsh favourite, leek and potato soup, this green garlic version is sweet, creamy and aromatic. For anybody who’s tried a bad leek and potato soup and feels like skipping this recipe, I can honestly say I’ve been in the exact same position. For years I thought it was a boring attempt to liven up watery mash potato. But at a restaurant I worked at in Wales, I was ordered to put it on the menu for Saint David’s Day so I worked on a version of the recipe to blow the socks off our diners. This green garlic soup is based on the same base recipe. Enjoy.

Recipe - Serves 2

• 1 White onion

• 4 Medium potatoes

• 1 Green garlic

• 1 tsp Wholegrain mustard

• 50ml Medium white wine

• 1Ltr of stock

• Optional: 100ml of single cream

Step 1.

Dice the onion and gently saute in oil or butter with seasoning. If you have a carrot or celery, feel free to add it here too as this will round off the base flavour. I haven’t included it in the recipe ingredients though as neither are ready to harvest in our garden at the moment.

Step 2.

Whilst the onion cooks, scrub or peel your potatoes. Peeled will offer a smoother soup, but the skin will give a lot of flavour. So it’s up to you. Cut them in half lengthways, then chop them up into 1cm slices.

Once the onion is translucent, add the potatoes to the pan and let them gently fry in the oniony fat for 5 minutes (make sure to stir to stop them sticking). Deglaze the pan with white wine, let it reduce for a minute, then add the stock and mustard. Bring the pan to a simmer and keep it there for 20-25 minutes.

Step 3.

Whilst the potatoes cook, clean and prepare your green garlic by removing any dirt and the roots. Roughly chop it into 1cm sections and add it to the pan when the potatoes are completely soft. Blend the soup right away and remove from the heat, letting the residual temperature of the soup cook the garlic. If you wish to make a fancier version, add the cream now and blend it in.

If the soup is too thick (depending on the type of potato used) then add a little more stock or water until it’s smooth enough for you.