Wild garlic, spinach & fennel soup
On these spring days, when there is a scent of summer in the air, but the wind carries a slight chill, there is little better than a warming bowl of seasonal soup.
INGREDIENTS
1 onion
4 sticks of celery
2 heads of fennel
1 potato
4 cloves of garlic
400g wild garlic, picked and washed
600g spinach, picked and washed
4 whole eggs
A splash of white wine vinegar
Roughly chop all the vegetables and sweat together over a medium heat in a lidded pot or around 5 minutes. As they start to cook cover them with water and allow the pot to come up to a simmer.
While this is happening, it is important to blanch the garlic, otherwise it the soup can end up a swampish colour rather than the vibrant green that catches the eye.
To this end, bring another pot of water to the boil and cook the wild garlic for 30 seconds.
Drain the nettles and refresh in iced water to halt the cooking process.
Once the vegetables are cooked through, stir through the spinach and wild garlic, season and blend until silken.
Pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
Bring a small pot of water with a splash of white wine vinegar to a simmer. Gently crack each egg into a cup and tip into the water.
Allow the eggs to cook for three minutes, then gently lift them out of the water and let them drain on a piece of kitchen paper.
To serve, ladle a portion of soup into the waiting bowls, float a poached egg in the center. Dress with a smattering of olive oil and a crack of pepper.
