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.
Thank you for visiting Learning And Yearning. May "the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Num 6:24-26
rosalynclaire says
They look beautiful. I don’t know if we have them around here or not, I’ve never really heard of anyone harvesting them but I am only just starting to learn about wild foods in our area. I love how they look in that colander!
learningandyearning says
They grow into Canada. Here’s a range map: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=altr3. Is that PEI that is in white? Then they don’t grow there. 🙁
Ashley says
That map is awesome! I wish ramps grew here!
donna e m says
We have a huge natural crop of them! I am going to try this recipe once the harvest time is near! Excited!!! (We live in The Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario Canada).
Katy Cedillo (@KatydidCountry) says
This is so funny that you posted this today. A friend came up for a visit and asked if I had ever had ramps. I said I didn’t know what they are and had never hear of them. Then you posted this LOL. Well, now I know. Thanks for the info. I don’t think they grow around here (north Alabama). But I’ll be on the lookout!
learningandyearning says
I just checked the range map, and yep, they sure do grow in Alabama!
kitsapfg says
I have never seen these in our area, but honestly I have not been really “looking” for them either. They look delicious.
learningandyearning says
Oh, yes, they ARE delicious!
Marcia says
My daughter harvests them in NH. I didn’t realize what they looked like.
learningandyearning says
Keep your eye out for them now that you know what they look like. You’ll really enjoy them!
pooks says
I have a feeling those are not Texas natives, but they look delicious. Anything in the onion/scallion/garlic family always is.
http://planetpooks.com/?p=4637
learningandyearning says
No, sorry to say that they don’t grow in TX. 🙁
maryhysong says
wow those are great looking and the soup sounds delish. Of course nothing awesome like that grows wild around here 😉
learningandyearning says
haha. Betcha’ there’s lots of wild plants all around you!
Bee Girl (AKA Melissa) says
Those ramps look wonderful! I don’t think we have them here, though…oh well 🙁
HappyMrsBass@Like A Mustard Seed says
I want to try to find some…sounds delicious! My hubby and I are all about foraging, LOL! Where would I find if ramps grow in IL? Also, would you mind sharing this on my Link-up? It fits wonderfully! Thanks!
learningandyearning says
Here’s the range map: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=altr3. Looks like they do grow in IL!! Thanks for the invite!
zentMRS says
Yum – looks absolutely delicious!
mac says
Beautiful! I’m drooling over the ramps, sadly it doesn’t grow here.
Lisa @ Two Bears Farm says
I’ve always wanted to gather ramps – looks great!
Jeanette says
Does anyone know if you can find seeds for these. I know I was in a shop once in West Virginia and they sold them. I bought some for a friend but I never did find out if they grew or not.
learningandyearning says
I did a quick google search and there seems to be several places that sell them. I may just try growing them myself one of these days.
Anne Simpson (@qechtweets) says
That’s so cool! I’m such a city girl; I have no clue how to forage in the wild. Thanks for linking up to Healthy 2Day Wednesday; come back next week to see if you were featured!
learningandyearning says
Even cities have much to forage!
Nancy says
I’ll have to keep my eyes out for these. Great post!
learningandyearning says
Thanks, Nancy!
Shawna says
I live in PA and I know they grow around here, but is there a specific enviroment that they like to grow in? Example: partial sun, next to water, etc. We have plenty of forest/wooded areas to look, but I need help narrowing it down please… don’t want to be looking in all the wrong spots! LOL! Thanks.
susanv says
Ramps generally grow under the shade of hardwood trees and often grow near streams. They like areas with a lot of organic matter. They seem to also like north facing hillsides. Good hunting!
Dr. Cowan's Garden says
I really love this ramp-potato soup. I found a new idea to use the ramp with soup. Ramps are harvested for their bulbs and leaves which taste like spring onions. Wild ramps contain valuable minerals as selenium, chromium, and iron.
Chris says
Hi. This is my third year using your recipe. This year I added buttermilk and cream. Delicious!
Susan Vinskofski says
Oh, wow, that sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing that with me!!!
Rex Swatzyna says
Absolutely wonderful! My wife (who can’t stand ramps) even loved it!
Susan Vinskofski says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Michele says
This is so good! Made as directed except I can’t have dairy, so I added an avocado right before blending to add some creaminess. Finished with a splash of lemon juice