There’s something deeply satisfying about a soup with earthy, roasted flavors. Whilst it's summer here, the rain came today and it just felt like a soup day - and besides, I really needed to do something with the celeriac in the crisper that I'd picked up at Feed Me Surf Coast, the local charity that redistributes surplus food. I'd also been given a couple of parsnips from a mate's garden and had half a leek from another meal, plus some random sticks of celery.
As for the lovage, I'd been gifted a plant last year. I love lovage (haha), but had only heard of it when I lived in England. It's quite an old fashioned plant with an impressive history, dating back to Roman times when it was prized not only for its flavor but for its medicinal properties. Lovage has a strong, celery-like taste with a hint of anise. Some people say it's a cross between parsley and cardomom. To be honest I don't taste the anise or the cardomom - it's kinda just like celery and maybe bayleaf to me. The herb is also known for its ability to support digestive and reduce bloating, and like a lot of herbs, has antioxidants and vitamins.
Ottoglenghi has some recipes for fish dishes with lovage - apparently it's common for seafood dishes, though I don't get it myself. I guess it's kinda strong tasting like dill.
I really like roasting the veggies first - it brings out the flavour, and there's less steam in the kitchen.
- 1/2 celeriac, peeled and cubed
- 2 parsnips, peeled and cubed
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 sticks of celery, chopped
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Two veggie stock cubes or stock to taste
- A small handful of fresh lovage leaves plus extra for garnish
- Optional: Cheese for serving
Roast your veggies with olive oil in the oven, turning and tossing half way through. Add them to the pan with some stock and simmer for five - ten minutes with the lovage so the flavours develop. Blend til creamy - voila.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a leaf of lovage (or some finely chopped). It's also nice with a crumble of feta or even blue cheese for the extra earthy taste.
Needless to say I had it for both lunch and dinner.
Have you cooked with lovage?
With Love,
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