This simple spring salad recipe features the very best of the season: tender lettuce, crisp radishes, and snap peas all held together in a creamy, herb-flecked dressing. Best of all? It only takes about 10 minutes to make.

After all the heaviness of winter, the lightness of spring vegetables seems to sing. The sun lingers longer, the days warm up and the farmer's market suddenly fills up with green things: mint and parsley, lettuce, young root vegetables and peas of all varieties.

They all seem to find their way to this salad. It's one I make on repeat all spring long - endlessly versatile. Use whichever lettuces, peas and root vegetable look best at the market, and you'll find you never get bored. Sometimes I add edible flowers, which are often abundant in the spring - snapdragons, borage flowers, and dandelion petals are my favorite.

I often partner it with a heavier main course like a springtime risotto or salmon chowder to round out the meal.

The creamy dressing uses a base of crème fraîche - a sort of French-style cultured creamy that's thicker than sour cream (although sour cream makes a fine substitute. To that you'll add lemon - both the zest and the juice.

Lemon zest brings an aromatic quality to the dressing, and, subsequently, the salad. While the juice adds much-needed acidity. Plenty of herbs add flavor, while the lightest touch of honey brings balance.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Buttercrunch lettuce is my favorite for spring salads. Its tender leaves form beautiful deep cups that cling onto the dressing. And its mild flavor works partners well with just about any vegetables.

If you can't fund Buttercrunch lettuce, any variety of butterhead lettuce makes a nice substitute. Green leaf lettuce also works well in this recipe.

Green onions lend a sharp bite to the salad, balancing the milder flavors of snap peas and lettuce. You can also swap in very thinly sliced shallot or any sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia.

Spring vegetables include snap peas and radishes. You can also include shelled English peas or even thinly sliced snow peas. I typically use little round Cherry Belle radishes. But, both French radishes and watermelon radishes look nice in the salad and give the salad a beautiful crunch, but you might also add young Hakurei salad turnips, too.

Fresh herbs include chives, mint and chervil in the dressing as well as mint and parsley in the salad. Chervil has a delicate licorice-like flavor, and you can swap in anise fronds if you prefer. Dill can also be a nice addition to the salad.

Feta adds creaminess and a punch of salt. It helps balance the milder flavors of the vegetable and pairs well the salad's fresh herbs. You can swap in any salty, creamy cheese for the feta - ricotta salata and goat cheese are nice.

Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) add crunch. Toasted almonds is a nice swap.

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Spring Salad Recipe

Delicate Butter lettuce pairs beautifully with creamy dressings like this one made of crème fraîche, herbs and lemon. Other hallmarks of spring, fresh herbs, and green peas. Radishes add color while creamy feta provides salty notes and pepitas bring a little bit of crunch.

Course Salad, Salad Dressing

Cuisine American

Keyword citrus, herbs, honey, vegetables

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Jenny

Ingredients

For the Creamy Herb Dressing

• 3 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh chervil
• 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

For the Salad

• 1 head Buttercrunch lettuce (torn into bite-sized pieces)
• 3 green onions (sliced thin)
• 4 radishes sliced thin
• 1 cup snap peas (sliced thin)
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves
• ¼ cup crumbled feta
• ¼ cup pepitas

Instructions

• Spoon the crème fraiche into a mixing bowl, whisk in the olive oil, honey, chives, mint and chervil. Grate the lemon peel very finely into the bowl with the crème fraîche.
• Cut the lemon cross-wise, and then squeeze its juice into a bowl or small pitcher. Strain the juice to remove the pulp and pips, and pour the juice into a mixing bowl. Whisk the lemon juice, salt and white pepper into the dressing, and set it aside until you're ready to dress the salad.
• Toss lettuce, green onions, radishes, snap peas, parsley, mint, feta and pepitas together. Dress with the at the table.

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Parsley, watercress, and chives shine in this easy and versatile herb salad recipe. Dress the salad with an intense, garlicky vinaigrette for a simple, healthy side dish.

What is it?

An herb salad is a salad made from fresh, leafy green herbs. It can include parsley, cilantro, watercress, mint, basil, chervil, or dill. And just about any fragrant leafy herb works in this recipe. The herbs you use depends on the season.

Occasionally edible flowers, such as chive blossoms or violets, are also added to the salad. Some cooks add the herbs to a bed of other leafy greens, such as lettuce, arugula, or bitter greens.  The salad is typically served with a vinaigrette.

Key Ingredients

In this herb salad recipe, we use a base of dandelion greens and watercress and add fresh parsley, chives, and chervil. However, you can add just about any herbs you like and have on hand. A garlicky vinaigrette works well to dress the salad.

• Dandelion greens are a bitter, nutritive herb that's rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, and minerals. Dandelion salad is delicious with a bitter note, but the greens also form a foundation for other herbs in this recipe. You can also cook dandelions, as in this wilted dandelion recipe.
• Watercress is a member of the mustard family. It has a peppery taste reminiscent of horseradish and is a nice partner for dandelion. It's also rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, and various minerals.
• Parsley has a clean, green flavor.  It's also rich in beta-carotene and vitamin K, and is traditionally used to support the kidneys.
• Chervil has a delicate sweet flavor, and it tastes like a cross between tarragon and parsley. 
• Chives bring a delicate onion-like flavor to the salad. Chives are rich in vitamin K. They also contain antioxidants called glucosinolates. These glucosinolates support cellular health in the same way as onions and garlic.
• Garlic helps give body and flavor to the vinaigrette, and it also balances the bitter notes of the dandelion greens.
• Extra virgin olive oil is the foundation of the vinaigrette. Olive oil contains a healthy mono-unsaturated fat. This helps you to absorb the fat-soluble micronutrients in leafy greens and herbs.
• Red wine vinegar brings a note of acidity to the vinaigrette. It's a natural match for robust herbs - especially dandelion and watercress.
• Dijon mustard helps to emulsify the vinaigrette, and it also partners well with watercress, chives, and parsley.

Recipe Tips

Making any salad should be straightforward.  There's plenty of latitude for experimentation and substitutions. But, there are a few things to keep in mind when you make an herb salad.

• Forage for wild herbs, such as dandelion greens, in safe places. Stay away from roadways and fields sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals.
• Soak your herbs in a bowlful of cold water.  Then dry them in a salad spinner. This will remove grit and other debris. It also helps keep them crisp and vibrant.
• Discard bruised or discolored herbs. Clean your herbs thoroughly. Soak them in a bowl full of cold water. Then spin them dry in a salad spinner.
• Use what's available and in season. In the spring, that means dandelions, cress, and chives. In summer, you might opt for parsley, basil, and cilantro.
• Run the garlic through a garlic press or mince it finely for a more uniform vinaigrette.
• Thoroughly mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette so that it emulsifies effectively and becomes smooth. Adding them to a mason jar and shaking them thoroughly works, but so does running it through a high-speed blender.

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Herb Salad Recipe

This simple spring herb salad features dandelion greens, peppery watercress, parsley, and chives touched with a garlicky vinaigrette. Serve it with grilled chicken or salmon or as a partner for a springtime soup.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword herbs

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 122kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 2 cups dandelion greens (torn)
• 3 cups watercress leaves
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup snipped chives
• ¼ cup chopped chervil

For the Vinaigrette

• 4 medium cloves garlic minced
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Instructions

• Toss all the greens into a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the garlic, salt, pepper, mustard, olive oil, and vinegar together until well-mixed and lightly emulsified. Dress the salad and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 4443IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg

Love Herbs?
Get the cookbook.

Vibrant Botanicals is our gorgeous botanically-focused cookbook that guides you through simple herbal recipes like this one. Order it online or through your local bookshop.

Check out the Book Here

The post Herb Salad appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

This braised wild mushroom recipe is a riff on the Italian classic funghi al funghetto. You start by sautéing garlic and shallots in lots of olive oil and butter. Then, you add the mushrooms. Let it all simmer in a combination of white wine and broth. The result is delicious-savory, herbaceous, and robust.

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Braised Wild Mushroom Recipe

The rainy, cool weather of both fall and spring makes the forest erupt with wild mushrooms. We use them in mushroom stew and risotto, but one of our favorite recipes is this simple side dish of braised mushrooms. It makes the perfect side dish for grilled steak. Although, we occasionally use the leftovers as a topping for homemade pizza.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword garlic, herbs, mushrooms, shallots

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 149kcal

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 shallots (sliced thin)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ pounds wild mushrooms (coarsely chopped)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup bone broth
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

• Warm the butter and olive oil in a braising dish or wide skillet over medium heat. When the butter froths and foams, add the garlic, shallots, and thyme. Sauté them together they release their aroma and begin to soften, about 6 minutes.
• Dump the mushrooms into the pan, stirring frequently to prevent overcooking. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Allow them to cook until they just start to release their juices. This takes about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for another minute or two until blends seamlessly into the mushrooms.
• Pour in the wine and broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn down the heat to medium-low. Continue simmering until the mushrooms are completely soft and the liquid reduces by half - about 25 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley, and serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 492mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 653IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

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This easy Garlic Scape Pesto recipe comes together in less than ten minutes. Its intense garlic flavor is balanced with fresh herbs and olive oil, making it a great way to use one of spring's true gems.

What are garlic scapes?

Garlic scapes are the flowers of the hardneck garlic plant. They pop up at farmer's markets during the springtime. When farmers cut the scapes, it forces the plant to send its energy downward, which then produces larger bulbs and plumper garlic cloves.

The scape has a long, serpentine stem that curls toward the flower bud. It tastes of fresh garlic and green onions. Its flavor is slightly lighter than garlic cloves, and it works as an excellent stand-in for them. You can add them to stir-fries, ferment them, or use them any place you'd add fresh garlic.

Pesto is an excellent way to use the entire garlic scape, minimizing waste. You'll use everything from the curly stem to the plump flower bud but may also need to discard the woody bottom or fibrous tip.

What's in it?

The ingredients for this garlic scape pesto recipe are similar to those for classic Pesto Genovese (aka Basil Pesto). You'll find plenty of olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and basil. But there's also flat-leaf parsley, too, and far more garlic scapes than you'd use fresh garlic cloves.

• Fresh garlic scapes are the foundation of this pesto recipe. While the scapes have a lighter, fresher flavor than garlic cloves, using so much makes this pesto intensely garlicky.
• Fresh herbs include basil which is a natural match for garlic, as well as flat-leaf parsley, whose clean, green notes help soften the garlic flavor and bring balance to the pesto.
• Extra virgin olive oil helps carry flavor, and it also acts as an emulsifier that helps all the other ingredients come together in a smooth pesto.
• Parmesan cheese gives a subtle salty-umami note to the pesto. For the best flavor, use Parmigiano Reggiano.
• Pine nuts are a traditional addition to basil pesto and a great addition to garlic scape pesto. They lend a buttery flavor and delicate creaminess that helps bring all the ingredients together when blended.

Recipe Tips

• Snip the tip of the flower at the top of the garlic scape, where it turns papery and fibrous. That's because your food processor will have a hard time chopping it.
• If the bottom of the garlic scape is tough and woody, trim it off.
• Chop garlic scapes and herbs coarsely. One-inch pieces work well, as they will produce a more consistent texture than larger chunks.
• Over-processing the pesto will make the olive oil taste bitter, so make sure the ingredients are well chopped by the food processor before adding the olive oil.
• A little goes a long way. While the scapes have a fairly mild garlic flavor when compared to garlic cloves, you use so many of them in this recipe that the overall effect is intense (and delicious). A little goes a long way, and aim to serve about 1 tablespoon per person.

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Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

This garlic scape pesto is an easy and delicious recipe for late spring and early summer. It's my favorite way to preserve garlic scapes and an excellent recipe for true garlic lovers.

Course Condiment

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword garlic, herbs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1.5 cups

Calories 133kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• food processor

Ingredients

• 12 medium garlic scapes (trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil (loosely packed)
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (loosely packed)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Add the garlic scapes, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and well combined.
• With the food processor set to low, add the olive oil in a smooth and steady stream until fully incorporated into the pesto.
• Spoon the pesto into a bowl, and adjust consistency with additional olive oil if necessary. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg

Love Herbs?
Get the cookbook.

Vibrant Botanicals is our gorgeous botanically-focused cookbook that guides you through simple herbal recipes like this one. Order it online or through your local bookshop.

Check out the Book Here

Recipe Questions

Try these recipes next

References

1. Ried, Karin. "Garlic lowers blood pressure in hypertensive subjects, improves arterial stiffness and gut microbiota: A review and meta-analysis." Experimental and therapeutic medicine vol. 19,2 (2020).
2. "Tyrosine." Mount Sinai. (2022)
3. Angeloni, Cristina et al. "Bioactivity of Olive Oil Phenols in Neuroprotection." International journal of molecular sciences vol. 18,11 2230
4. Fernández del Río, Lucía et al. "Olive Oil and the Hallmarks of Aging." Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 21,2 163. 29 Jan. 2016,

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I make a lot of herb salads at home, but this one is a favorite - especially in winter when citrus fruit is at its peak. With their bright, sweet-tart flavor, Kumquats balance the aromatic and delicately bitter notes of microgreens and basil.

I like to top the salad with a sharp, spiced dressing made with grapefruit juice, fenugreek, and coriander. Both spices amplify the flavor of the salad's herbs and kumquats, bringing another layer of deep and penetrating flavor to a relatively straightforward salad.

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Kumquat and Herb Salad Recipe

Fresh basil, parsley, and microgreens replace lettuce in this salad - bringing bright, intense flavor to the plate. Kumquas add a sweet-tart note and pine nuts give the salad a pleasant crunch.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword citrus, herbs, spices

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Jenny

Equipment

• medium mixing bowl
• Pint-Sized Mason Jar

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 2 ounces fenugreek micgrogreens
• 2 ounces basil leaves
• 1 ounce parsley leaves
• 4 green onions (sliced thin)
• 1 cup kumquats (halved lengthwise)
• ¼ cup pine nuts (lightly toasted)

For the Dressing

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 shallot (minced)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander seed
• ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek seed
• 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice

Instructions

• Toss the fenugreek, basil, and parsley together with green onions. Arrange the kumquats over the greens, and then sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top.
• Spoon the sesame oil, shallot, salt, spices, and grapefruit juice into a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Seal the jar tightly and shake it vigorously until all the ingredients, oil, and juice mingle together.
• Drizzle the citronette over the salad and serve immediately, or let your guests dress their own salads at the table.

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A wilted spinach salad, simple and nourishing, offers an excellent way to incorporate fresh winter greens onto your supper table during the long, dark days of winter when hardy spinach is plentiful. Heating the spinach very slightly, as in this wilted spinach salad recipe requires, provides a dual purpose: not only does it make the dish more suitable for cold days when fresh, raw greens can be unappealing, but it also helps to mitigate the effects of oxalic acid - an antinutrient naturally found in spinach and other greens.

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wilted spinach salad

Fresh spinach and chicken combine with the smokiness of bacon and sweetness of apples for a satisfying winter salad.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• ¼ cup prepared honey mustard dressing
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 red onion (sliced into rounds)
• 1 apple (sliced thin)
• 1 cup leftover roast chicken meat (chopped into bite-sized pieces)

Instructions

• Fry four slices bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from the pan, turn off the heat and gently stir ¼ cup honey mustard dressing into the rendered bacon grease. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Toss remaining ingredients together, garnish with fried bacon and dress with the mixture of bacon grease and honey mustard dressing.

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This creamy asparagus soup recipe is easy to make and the perfect soup to welcome those chilly spring evenings. You'll use leeks, asparagus, chicken broth, and cream for a beautiful soup with a delicate flavor.

What is it?

Asparagus soup is a springtime soup made with asparagus, broth or water, cream, and a thickener. The result is a pale green soup with a delicate flavor and velvety texture. 

Key Ingredients

Like most soup recipes, the ingredients for this asparagus soup recipe are straightforward, with a focus on fresh spring produce. It's simple, nourishing, and delicious.

• Asparagus is the foundation of the soup. Any type of asparagus will do. You can use thin- or thick-stemmed asparagus as well as green, white, or purple varieties.
• Leeks give balance to asparagus. They have a light onion-like flavor and are often available in springtime at the farmers' markets.
• Broth forms the liquid portion of the soup. Store-bought broth works fine. But if you learn how to make chicken broth, you'll find the results taste even better. You can also use vegetable broth or homemade bone broth.
• Short-grain white rice thickens the soup.  You only need a little bit, but it plumps in the butter and soaks up the broth. 
• Butter gives the soup a creamy note, and it also helps break down the leeks.
• Heavy cream softens the flavor of the soup, introducing a delicate quality. It also works with rice to thicken the soup and improve its texture.

Recipe Tips

• Making the leek and asparagus broth is helpful but not necessary.  So, if you don't have time to fuss with an infused broth, your soup will still taste amazing without the extra effort.
• Leeks are notoriously dirty vegetables because they're grown in sandy soil. So, give them a good rinse when you slice them to remove any grit.
• You can save the asparagus tips and blanch them in hot water to stir into the soup rather than puréeing everything together. The asparagus makes a pretty garnish.
• If you don't have an immersion blender, you can purée the soup in batches in a high-powered upright blender. Cool the soup for about 10 minutes before blending.
• When reheating the soup, add a little extra broth or water. A few tablespoons are all your need.

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Asparagus Soup Recipe

This creamy asparagus soup recipe has a delicate quality and a luscious, velvety finish. It's a simple recipe that's easy to make and the perfect low-effort soup for a chilly spring day.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 347kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• Small saucepan
• Dutch Oven
• Fine-mesh Strainer
• Immersion Blender

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• 3 medium leeks
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• ¼ cup short-grain white rice (such as arborio)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Make the leek- and asparagus-infused broth.

• Chop off the woody ends of the asparagus and place them in a small stock pot. Next, chop the remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces and place them in a medium bowl.
• Chop the dark green leaves of the leek, and place them in the small stock pot. Then slice the remaining white and light-green part of the leeks into ¼-inch pieces and place them in a small bowl.
• Pour the chicken broth over the leek and asparagus scraps, and warm over medium heat while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Simmer the soup.

• While the broth simmers, melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. When it froths, stir in thinly sliced leeks and the rice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, and let them sweat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• When the leeks are soft and tender, strain the chicken broth and discard the leek and asparagus scraps. Pour the strained broth into the pot with the leeks and rice. Add the asparagus.
• Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat to medium-low, and then simmer until the asparagus and rice are tender - about 25 minutes.

Purée the soup.

• Turn off the heat, and then pour in the cream. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve hot, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1549mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2894IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 4mg

Recipe Questions

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Dandelion greens, like all greens, love fat.  Their robust bitterness and peppery undertones are muted, to some degree, by the liquid smoothness of unrefined olive oil or - even better - the smokiness of a good quality bacon fat, free of added nitrates and nitrites and produced from hogs raised outdoors and under a vibrant sun.  The strong flavor of the greens also pairs well with the sweet spice of toasted mustard seed.

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Dandelion Greens Recipe

Bitter dandelion greens are sauteed in grass-fed ghee and bacon fat and topped with toasted mustard seed for a simple, spring-time sidedish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 cups

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon whole yellow mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoon ghee
• 4 ounces bacon (chopped)
• 1 small shallot (coarsley chopped)
• 1 pound young dandelion greens (rinsed well and coarsely chopped, if needed)
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Instructions

• Place a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over a high flame and toss in mustard seeds, toasting gently until they release their fragrance - about two minutes. Transfer mustard seed to a bowl or dish to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Reduce the heat to medium and spoon one teaspoon butter into the skillet, allowing it to melt until it begins to froth. Add chopped bacon to the butter and fry it until crisped and its fat rendered. Transfer the bacon to the dish holding your toasted mustard seed. Toss chopped shallot into the rendered bacon fat and fry until fragrant and softened, about three minutes.
• Stir in dandelion greens into the chopped shallot and bacon fat, and immediately turn off the heat as the greens will wilt in the skillet's residual heat. Pour in two teaspoons red wine vinegar and continue stirring the greens until wilted to your liking. Transfer to a serving dish and dress with toasted mustard seed and crisped bacon.

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Greens are springing up at area farms, and have arrived in abundance in our weekly CSA box, among them the youngest and most tender spinach. I reserve these young bunches of greens for one of my favorite recipes for spring: Buttered Spinach.  While it may sound terribly uninteresting, it offers a story.

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Buttered Spinach

I first came across this recipe scrawled in the pages of an old journal given to me by a close friend. Dated 1846 and yellowed with time, its fragile pages describe farm chores coupled with the details of household management, favorite poems, and recipes like the one below, which specifies the use of young spinach, freshly picked, and, like most old recipes, provides few details on quantity. I've adapted the recipe, substituting white pepper for black. I make it often in the spring, when tender baby spinach arrives in our CSA box weekly, until the weather grows too hot and stifles the tender greens.

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ pounds spinach (trimmed)
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 hard-boiled eggs (peeled and minced)

Instructions

• Trim the spinach of any tough stems or veins, then coarsely chop the spinach leaves. Toss the spinach into a large, heavy stockpot. Set it on the stove over medium-low heat, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until completely tender.
• Drain the wilted spinach in a colander, pressing it down to remove any excess liquid. Return the pot to the stove, add the butter, and melt over low heat. Toss in the spinach. Stir in the salt, white pepper, and minced egg, then serve.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from The Nourished Kitchen written and photographed by Jennifer McGruther (Ten Speed Press, © 2014).

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Fresh herbs give this wild mushroom soup recipe a punch of brightness, balancing the savory, earthy notes of mushrooms. The recipe is easy to make, coming together in about thirty minutes.

Homemade soup is always a welcome meal for the colder months, and this recipe is one of our favorites. A far cry from canned cream of mushroom soup, with its gloopy texture and salty flavor, this recipe highlights the complex flavor of wild mushrooms and fresh herbs.

It's one of the best soups to make in autumn and springtime when wild mushrooms are plentiful. If you can't find wild mushrooms, the soup is equally delicious, made with button, cremini, and other domestic varieties purchased from the local grocery store.

Key Ingredients

• Fresh mushrooms are the key to this recipe. Their woodsy aroma and deep, earthy flavors lend a resonant flavor to the recipe. The key is to add a wide variety of mushrooms to the soup pot. A mix of mushrooms will give the soup a deeper and more complex flavor.
• Broth forms the liquid portion of the soup. While you can purchase chicken stock for this recipe, homemade chicken broth is best. If you prefer a richer nutritional profile, consider using this long-simmered bone broth recipe, which is high in protein from gelatin.
• Celery lends a vegetal note to the recipe, complementing the flavor of the mushrooms.
• Shallots are members of the onion family, and they bring a savory, sweet quality to the soup. That flavor serves as a good background for the earthy notes of wild mushrooms. You can substitute yellow onion or leeks.
• Butter and olive oil combine to sauté and break down the mushrooms, celery, and shallots before you add the broth. They also lend flavor and a creamy element to the soup. Ghee would also work as a good replacement for the butter, bringing pleasant nutty undertones to the soup.
• Fresh thyme adds an herbal element to wild mushroom soup. It's a natural match for many mushroom varieties - especially porcini and pine mushrooms, as well as domestic varieties.
• White wine lends acidity to the soup, brightening the deep mushroom flavor. You can also use a splash of sherry or a squeeze of fresh lemon. 
• Heavy cream adds richness to the soup and helps it emulsify, As a result, you'll make an ultra-creamy mushroom soup without adding flour or other thickeners.

Recipe Tips

• Use a combination of mushrooms for the best flavor. Each variety brings a unique flavor to the soup - improving its depth of flavor and complexity.
• You can speed up prep time by tossing your mushrooms into a food processor instead of chopping them by hand.
• Clean your mushrooms well. Wild mushrooms often need care and attention to remove dirt, pine needles, and grit. A pastry brush can be helpful. You may also need to trim away bad parts, such as those that are too soft or riddled with holes left by worms and insects.
• Cut the mushrooms into pieces of the same size so that they cook evenly.
• Use the whole mushroom, including the stem. Chopped mushroom stems will add both flavor and bulk to the soup. Using them is a great way to reduce food waste.
• Certain varieties need more time to cook, and they may need more liquid, too, to make up for the increase in cooking time. Lobster mushrooms will take longer to soften than chanterelles and other delicate varieties.
• Add the cream at the very end. If you add it too soon, the cream will taste overcooked instead of fresh and may separate.
• Be generous with your herbs. For the best flavor, you'll need more than a lonely sprig of thyme.
• If you don't have an immersion blender, you can purée the soup in an upright blender. Work in batches, and fill the blender only one-third full with each batch.

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Wild Mushroom Soup Recipe

Mushrooms have a deep, savory flavor that blends beautifully with thyme and cream in this simple cold-weather soup recipe.

This recipe is adapted from the Wild Mushroom Soup recipe in my first cookbook - The Nourished Kitchen (Ten Speed Press 2014).

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword broth, cream, herbs, mushrooms, thyme

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 244kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• Dutch Oven (or large soup pot)
• Immersion Blender (or upright blender)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot (coarsely chopped)
• 3 ribs celery (coarsely chopped)
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 ½ pounds wild mushrooms (cleaned and coarsely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• Warm the butter and olive oil in a large pot or large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter froths, toss in the shallot and celery, sautéeing them in the hot fat until they soften and become fragrant - about 6 minutes. Deglaze the pan by stirring in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
• Stir in the mushrooms. Sprinkle them with thyme, salt, and pepper. Stirring occasionally, let the mushrooms cook with the shallot and onions until they soften and release their liquid, about 3 minutes further.
• Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the pot reaches a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mushrooms are completely soft and cooked through - about 20 minutes further.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Then, blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls and serve right away, or transfer it to the fridge to keep up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 1281mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe Questions

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