Walking along a bubbling brook yesterday, I stumbled upon a lovely patch of ramps. Also known as wild leeks, ramps are native to the Appalachian mountain region in North America.
The perennial is found in deciduous forests in the spring. The bulb has a lovely onion-garlic taste and is delicious raw, or lightly sautéed. Ramps can also be used in recipes which call for leeks, or as a substitute for onion. We love them in Ramps and Potato soup.
Last night, I sautéed some with salmon, and this evening, I made a delicious Ramps and Potato Soup.
Here’s the range map so you can check to see if ramps grow in your area: Map
Be sure to harvest sustainably by only taking a small portion from a large patch, or by only harvesting one leaf from each plant.
And this post has tips for foraging ramps.
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Ramps and Potato Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sauté the leeks and celery in the melted butter for about 10 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of chicken broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and the remaining broth, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15–20 minutes.
- Puree the soup. An immersion blender works great for this.
- Add the half and half, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with parsley.