TLC Cooking "Soup of the Week: A Delightful Fiddlehead Soup"

Emerald Green Fiddlehead Soup

Browse the recipe Emerald Green Fiddlehead Soup

Difficulty level Easy

YIELD Serves 4

In my post last week I mentioned that I wanted to use my fiddleheads and asparagus in recipes where they would be front and centre and I would make soup with them when the first flush of pleasure in eating them had passed. I was wrong. I made this fiddlehead soup yesterday and I was completely won over by the taste. This is a truly elegant soup and would be perfect for a dinner party where you were trying to impress your guests. The best part is that it is really easy, but it tastes like you were trained to be a chef. I ate the soup hot, but I think it would also be delicious chilled, leaving out the croutons.

The recipe is from David Garcelon, the Executive Chef at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. TreeHugger Bonnie wrote about his roof herb garden here. To my horror and shame I dropped the container holding my precious soup and I lost a quantity of it to my kitchen floor. Mr. Garcelon, I can report that my puppy Jasper thought the soup was spectacular.

INGREDIENTS

1lb	fiddleheads, washed and the stems trimmed of any brown
3 tbsp	extra virgin olive oil
2	leeks, chopped
3	medium potatoes, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
5 cups	chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup	whipping cream
1/4	baguette, cut into 1/4" cubes

PREPARATION:

Select 12 of the nicest fiddleheads. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well. Reserve as a garnish for the soup
In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil on medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes, remaining fiddleheads, salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 3 minutes.
Add broth, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover pot and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot, blending until very smooth. Stir in cream and adjust seasoning.
In a large saute pan, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat . Add baguette cubes, season with salt and pepper and saute until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Garnish each bowl of soup with 3 fiddleheads and sprinkle with croutons just before serving.
From Edible Toronto

This recipe appears in: Soups