A recipe shared with me by one of my best friends, Lauren, who's Italian grandfather, Pop Prosperi, made this family staple filled with love and healing greens. Dandelions are are their tastiest (not so bitter) when they first come up in the spring and can be substituted with spinach.
Prep Time: 45 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Ingredients
Instructions
Ingredients
2tbspnolive oil
2tbspnbutter
1/2onionfinely chopped
1bulbgarlicminced
6carrotsfinely chopped
6ribsceleryfinely chopped
2cupsdandelion greens (stems removed to make less bitter) or other leafy green like spinachchopped, loosely packed
8cupsbone broth or chicken broth
1tspcrushed red pepper flakes
grain – rice (we use wild) or barley or tortellinipre-cooked, warmed
pinchparmesan cheese (for topping when served)grated
a fewdandelion headsoptional for garnish (they are edible!)
Fresh Herbs (These are what we did but feel free to get creative!)
2tbspnbasiljulienned
1/2tbspnmarjoramfinely chopped
1/2 tbspnoreganofinely chopped
1 tbspnchivesfinely chopped
Instructions
Chop and prep all vegetables, greens, and herbs and set aside.
Drizzle olive oil in a medium stock pot on medium to high heat. Sautee onions, celery, and carrots until just barely softened. I prefer this soup as fresh "al dente" soup with the vegetables just barely cooked so be sure not to overcook and never boil the vegetables in this recipe. Salt to taste.
Add butter to the vegetable mixture. Drop in chopped (and de-stemmed!) dandelion greens and minced garlic and continue to cook over medium to high heat. Salt to taste.
Add in (optional) crushed red pepper flakes and a tablespoon or so of fresh herbs.
Pour the chicken broth or bone broth into the pot and heat until just hot but be sure not to boil. Salt to taste.
Add your warmed grain (warm rice/ barley or tortellini tetc.) to bowls and pour soup over top, making sure to evenly get veggies in each bowl.
Top each bowl with grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of the fresh chopped herbs mixture.