Wild garlic soup
Simple, nutritious soup, that everybody loves! This is a perfect combination of potatoes and seasonal greens. Fresh tasting and satisfying makes a perfect meal for beginners foragers and even beginners cooks, as it so easy to make. Raw wild garlic is very pungent, but once it’s cooked it so delicate. Wild garlic leaves are edible in all stages of their maturity, but they’re the best when young.
Ingredients:
4 - 5 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
a bunch of fresh wild garlic leaves (increase the amount of leaves if you dare)
2 l vegetable stock
a generous spoonful of butter or a dash of olive oil for a healthier version
creme fraiche (you can also use a vegan option)
salt and pepper
Method:
chop the onion and fry on olive oil until soft (do it in a medium pan)
roughly dice the potatoes and add the to fried onion
cover everything in vegetable stock and cook until the potatoes are soft
roughly chop wild garlic and add to the pan
let it cook for 5 mins and blend it with a hand blender for the preferred consistency
add salt and pepper to taste; you can also add a spoonful of creme fraiche
Beetroot kvass made easy
Even though this recipe is not strictly related to foraging, I would like to share it with you.
This Eastern European probiotic drink made with beetroots and garlic is famous for its cleansing properties.
Fermented beets' juice, known as beets’ kvass is very rich in healthy bacteria that grow during lacto-fermentation process.
These bacteria help us to stay well and strong. It works wonders when it comes to regulating digestive system and gives a great boost to our immune system.
You'll not believe how simple it is to make it in your own kitchen.
Ingredients:
3-4 raw, fresh beetroots
1 l of boiled, cooled water
1 table spoon of sea salt
4-5 garlic cloves
Method:
Sterilise the jar, that you’re going to use. I recommend using a Kilner type of jar, as they have very useful locks when it comes to fermenting.
Peel and slice your beetroots
Place them is the jar.
Peel garlic cloves, cut into 3 pieces and add to the jar.
Dissolve salt in previously boiled and cooled water.
Pour it over beets and garlic.
Close the lid.
Leave your jar in room temperature. It can’t be too cold, preferably 19C - 21C
Kvass is ready after 5 or 7 days
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup with a wild twist
I must admit I’m a pumpkin soup addict! I always look forward to autumn and halloween season when you can stock up on this nutritional vegetable. It store very well and has got amazing properties. Uncut pumpkins can store up to 3 months in dark, cool place.
First of all, it’s a great source of antioxidants. It also contains a lot of vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene to support eye health and healthy looking skin. Another amazing property of pumpkin is that it hydrates our bodies from inside. Pumpkins consist mostly of water, which makes it low calorie and weight-loss friendly. If that’s not enough to convince you to cook a pumpkin soup, there is one more fact that you should know. Its nutrients and antioxidants levels are so well balanced that it gives our immune system a real boost.
I’ve got an easy recipe to make soup, which only consist of 5 ingredients.
Ingredients:
2.5 l of vegetable stock
3 cups of diced, peeled pumpkin
3 medium potatoes, roughly chopped
1 big apple, roughly chopped
spices of your choice; I like it simple with just salt and pepper, but very often add chopped garlic and ginger
Method:
Put everything together in a pan, cover with vegetable stock and cook until it’s all soft (usually around 30 min)
blitz it with a hand blender
you can add a dash of sour cream or vegan alternative
Foraged ingredient in this recipe (it’s an extra, so don’t worry if you don’t have any of it). When I have enough of my regular pumpkin soup I like adding some foraged ingredients. I absolutely love it with:
finely chopped, fresh dandelion leaves
ground alexander seeds
sautéed wild mushrooms
Elderflower and lemon ice lollies
The most refreshing and healthy treat you can offer to your kids when it’s so hot.
Your foraged ingredient: elderflowers
Ingredients:
fresh elderflowers (5-7 will be more than enough)
2 lemons
3 tbsp honey or 3 tbsp brown sugar
1 l of water
Method:
Infuse water with elderflowers aroma. There are 2 ways of doing it. First, simply dip the flowers in water and let it sit for a couple of hours. Second, prepare a simple cordial and let it cool down.
Juice lemons, you may add some zest if you like it.
It’s an ice lolly, make sure it’s sweet enough! Use your preferred method of sweetening, or have it sour if you want.
Pour into moulds and place in your freezer.
Seaweed Stir Fry
Bowl of superfood, with freshly foraged ingredients.
This dish is very easy. Can be prepared with minimum cooking skills, but is unbelievable nutritious.
Foraged ingredientes: sea weeds and coastal herbs.
Shopping list:
rice noodles
oyster sauce
prawns (optional)
some extra vegetables, e.g. mangetout, peas and sweetheart cabbage (optional)
olive oil
2 garlic cloves.
Foraged ingredients:
selection of seaweeds (I used serrated wrack and spiral wrack)
sea beets
Method:
Prepare noodles according to cooking instructions
Thoroughly wash the seaweeds, making sure you clean any sand.
Roughly chop the seaweeds. When it comes to wracks I tend to use the tips only. They very tender and full of flavour.
Wash and chop seabeets.
If using prawns, start with gently frying them on a generous spoonful of olive oil with crushed garlic cloves.
Once the prawns are ready, add all your chopped ingredients.
Fry under cover for 5 minutes, if it looks to dry add half a cup of water.
Add generous splash of oyster sauce (you can use soy sauce instead, but oysters sauce goes so well with seaweeds).
Add noodles and mix.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Three cornered leek creamy sauce
I think everybody needs an easy recipe for creamy, thick sauce, that you can have with pasta, fresh bread or gnocchi. My recipe uses three cornered leeks, but you can play around with flavour by using, garlic, wild garlic or mushrooms.
Foraged ingredient: three cornered leek
Ingredients list:
1 glass of milk or plant based ‘milk’
1 glass of water
generous knob of butter
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of full fat spread cheese (optional)
salt and pepper
a bunch of fresh three cornered leeks
Method:
melt the butter in a pan, add flour. Stir it continuously, making sure it doesn’t turn brow.
gradually stir in the milk. I usually mix it with water, but you can stick to milk only option. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Simmer for about 5 minutes
add full fat spread cheese (this is my winter version of creamy sauce. Full fat spread cheese simply adds calories to the dish and I really need it when it’s cold). Stir it in, make sure it’s got a smooth consistency.
now add chopped greens.
salt and pepper to taste.
Winter mushroom pasta sauce.
Winter mushroom pasta sauce.
This recipe is for 3 medium portions. You can adjust quantities if needed.
Foraged ingredient: wild mushrooms. I used chanterelles, winter chanterelles and hedgehog mushrooms.
Ingredients:
whole meal pasta
1 medium onion
3 tbsp of olive oil
250 ml veggie stock
1 tbsp of corn flour
fresh parsley to sprinkle of the top
Method:
Cook past according to instructions
Cook the wild mushrooms in salty water for about 10 mins. You can skip this step and add your mushrooms straight to the pan. I usually give chanterelles a quick boil, as I know my children love them. boiling wild mushrooms makes the easier to digest for little stomachs.
Peel and chop the onion.
Gently fry your chopped onions on the pan.
Add shredded mushrooms. Cook for about 10 mins.
Add veggie stock. Cover and simmer for another 5 mins.
In the meantime mix 1 big tbsp of corn flour in 50 ml of cold water and add it to your sauce. Bring up to boil. The corn flour will make the sauce thicker.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Sea beets with onions
This simple topping could be any easier!
foraged ingredient: sea beets
what you need:
olive oil
black pepper
small onion
2 garlic cloves
a breakfast muffin, sourdough bread or any other bread
Method:
Wash your sea beets.
Preheat olive oil or vegan block
Slice the onion and gently fry
Add the sea beets and fry for 5 mins
Season with black pepper (sea beets are naturally salty, so no need for more)
Pickled chanterelles
This year has been great for chanterelles. One of my favourite ways of preserving these tasty wild mushrooms is pickling. Pickling wild mushrooms is relatively easy and very rewarding when it comes to taste.
Foraged ingredient: Chanterelles
What you need:
Freshly picked chanterelles, 400 gr will be enough to prepare 2-3 small jars
White vinegar of you choice
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
Mustard seeds, bay leaves, allspice, sugar, salt
Medium and small sterilised jars with lids.
Method:
Prepare and clean your mushrooms. You’ll have to cook them before pickling; simply boil your chanterelles in salted water for 15 mins and drain.
To prepare pickling solution mix vinegar with water in 1:2 proportions (half a cup of vinegar mix with 1 cup of water). Add 2-3 tbs of sugar, spices of your choice and let it simmer for 10 mins, making sure that sugar dissolves completely. Pickling solution is very individual when it comes to taste. Don’t be afraid to try it. If you prefer is sweeter just add some more sugar. You can also experiment with adding different spices or herbs.
In the meantime tightly pack small jars with cooked mushrooms.
You can add a slice of onion or some chopped carrots.
Pour hot pickling solution into the jars and screw the lids tightly.
Now you can pasteurise your pickles. There are different ways of doing it, you can either do in the oven - ‘baking’ your filled jars, or simply put the jars into the pan, bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins, then turn it upside down and let it cool down.
Nettle Seeds Truffles
3 Ingredients recipe for delicious chocolate truffles, coated with nettles seeds.
Foraged ingredient: nettle seeds
To prepare these amazing and healthy snacks you only need 3 ingredients: dark chocolate, coconut milk and nettles seeds. I used fresh seeds, but if you’ve got dried ones, they will be perfect too.
90 gr of dark chocolate
20 ml coconut milk
5 tbsp of nettle seeds
Method:
Grate your chocolate.
Heat coconut milk in separate bowl. I did it by bathing my little bowl in hot water, but you can heat it up in microwave. It has to be hot enough to melt grated chocolate.
Pour coconut milk on chocolate flakes and stir until the consistency in nice and smooth.
Mix it well and put into the fridge for about 2-3 hours so it can set nicely.
When cold, spoon it into your hand and roll until you have got a ball shape.
Put the ball into the seeds, roll around and let the seeds stick to chocolate truffle.
Store in the fridge.
To see how is it made, please refer to my Instagram highlights, where I tried to document the process in detailed photos :)
Roasted dandelion root coffee
Great alternative for coffee. Dandelion roots have a lot more to offer, rather than only invigorating coffee taste.
To prepare the brew you need to dig out some nice, mature roots. This lovely plant is often considered a weed and is rather invasive. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.
Digging and clearing the roots is rather a messy job, but it’s so worth it.
Once the roots are nice and clean, chop them roughly into 1-2 cm pieces.
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Spread chopped roots on a baking paper and put on a baking tray.
Roast in the oven for about 45 min.
Make sure the roots are dry and crumbly.
When cooled down grind the in coffee grinder or use pestle and mortar.
I love my dandelion coffee with a splash of oat milk, but it’s great on its own, too.
Roasted pepper and sweet potato soup with nettles seeds
Foraged ingredient: nettles seeds
Lovely, warming and creamy soup. Easy to make and full of nutrients on its own, but taken up to another level of nutrition value when topped up with nettles seeds.
Nettle seeds support adrenal glands and endocrine system, help to fight off fatigue and tiredness. If that’s not enough the seeds are great source of vitamin A, C, iron, calcium and magnesium!
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
2 red peppers
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 l vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Method:
Roughly chop, previously peeled sweet potatoes. Cook them in veg stock
In the meantime, fry chopped onions and red peppers until soft.
Once sweet potatoes are soft, add onions and peppers.
Blend everything and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle generously with nettles seeds.
Elderberries syrup
Potent antiviral and antibacterial properties. Great immune booster.
This simple recipe is ideal for foragers at all levels of skills.
Foraged ingredient:
elderberries
Ingredients list:
2 cups of fresh elderberries
2 liters water
4 tbsp of brown sugar or honey
Equipment needed:
sterilized jars or screw top bottles
saucepan
wooden spatula or spoon
sieve
Method:
Pour water into a saucepan and add elderberries
Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for about 1 hour
You can add sugar at any point of cooking, but if you decide to add honed add it when the syrup cools down.
Pour into a clean jar or bottle and keep in the fridge.
If you made more that you can consume in a week you may want to pasteurise your syrup. Sometime it works really well if your pour into jars while it’s still hot and turn upside down. Leave until cool down.
If I’m preparing it for winter, or expect the syrup to last a few months I would usually quickly pasteurise them by boiling the in water for 10-15 minutes and them turning them upside down.